Archives

Harrisburg - November 27, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Deals abound on “Cyber Monday,” but today State Treasurer Rob McCord reminded Pennsylvanians to visit Treasury’s online unclaimed property auction for unique gift ideas. He urged shoppers, after they fill their virtual carts, to remain on www.patreasury.gov to find out if they are owed any of the nearly $1.3 million in unclaimed eBay and PayPal rebates and credits his department currently holds

WASHINGTON - November 22, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that nine communities across the U.S. will receive Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants. The $4.37 million awarded today provides these communities the resources they need to craft comprehensive, community-driven plans to revitalize and transform public or other HUD-assisted housing and distressed neighborhoods. Read more about these local planning efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 21, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today championed the use of public-private partnerships to redevelop underutilized federal real estate and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. As chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, Barletta has already worked in a bipartisan manner with ranking member Rep. André Carson (D-IN) and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), to identify nearly $500 million in savings to taxpayers by addressing underused office space

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- We pause to honor those who have donned the uniform of one of the branches of the armed forces of the United States. A grateful nation salutes the men and women who have set their personal lives on hold so that they could fill the need of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Philadelphia took a significant step in its quest to fix its broken vacant property disposition system and create a single predictable, transparent and streamlined process for vacant property disposition. The Philly Land Bank Alliance is pleased that on October 28th Bill No. 130156 was reported out of the Committee on Public Property and Public Works of the City Council of Philadelphia. However, the bill was amended at the last minute to require three elected and appointed public bodies to approve the transfer of every one of the almost 10,000 parcels of the city’s publicly owned vacant property. This adds unnecessary time and bureaucracy and will discourage investment in Philadelphia. We urge Council to remove the last-minute amendment that requires approval by the Vacant Property Review Committee, in addition to a resolution in City Council and final action by the Land Bank

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) Board of Commissioners has approved a Second Chance Housing Choice Voucher pilot program, designed to remove one of the major barriers that people on parole face to successfully reenter society. PHA will be the largest of 12 housing authorities taking part in this program

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 6, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today approved two disaster recovery plans in Pennsylvania totaling $17.4 million to help Luzerne and Dauphin Counties to recover from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011. These disaster plans will rely on grants provided earlier through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.

Washington, D.C. - November 1, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-Howard, has joined a bipartisan coalition of Members of Congress in introducing the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act (H.R. 3370), a bill to terminate rate increases under the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 until two years after the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) completes the rate affordability study originally mandated under the law

Philadelphia, PA - October 31, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has launched an online job bank designed to connect public and assisted housing residents with job and training opportunities as part of Housing America Month

Harrisburg - October 25, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, State Treasurer Rob McCord today highlighted more than $84,000 in unclaimed property the state is working to reunite with organizations and institutions that treat, research and work to find a cure for cancer.

Harrisburg - October 25, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- National Fire Prevention Month is a chance for families to review their preparedness for a fire emergency, but as Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord noted today, it is also a chance to support emergency responder organizations by highlighting an often overlooked source of revenue – Pennsylvania’s unclaimed property program

Philadelphia, PA - October 22, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) continues to receive recognition as a stand out development leader among U.S. Housing Authorities. The most recent received award recognition from several industry organizations showcases four PHA developments.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 21, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- South Greengate Commons, the first construction project by the Westmoreland County Housing Authority in about three decades, has its first tenants.

Harrisburg - October 21, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- As a record number of households struggle with student loans, State Treasurer Rob McCord said many grandparents are playing a more active role in helping their grandchildren afford college. A Pennsylvania 529 account, he said, offers great tax advantages and estate planning benefits

Philadelphia, PA - October 16, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Philadelphia Housing Authority and Cheyney University have inked a three-year agreement that features 12 special initiatives to enhance educational opportunities for public housing residents and agency employees.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 14, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nearly a million federal workers, including most employees of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, remain furloughed this week as a partial government shutdown continues.

Philadelphia, PA - October 9, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) is one of 17 affordable housing organizations across the country to achieve full Green Organizational Accreditation through a pilot program from the Sustainable Performance Institute (SPI) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The accreditation recognizes HUD-assisted organizations that are institutionalizing energy-efficient, green building practices in their day-to-day operations, as well as long-term rehabilitation and redevelopment of their affordable housing portfolios

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- As you likely know, the House and Senate failed to agree on a “Continuing Resolution” (CR) to provide short-term funding for fiscal year 2014, which began October 1, and Congress hasn’t enacted any FY14 appropriations bills. Without 2014 funds to use to pay for agency operations, a large share of federal employees have been furloughed, including 96 percent of HUD staff. At this point, it is unclear how long the partial shutdown will continue. There is no clear “end game” in sight, though many observers believe that the October 17th deadline to raise the debt ceiling or risk default on federal payment obligations may lead Congress and the President to resolve the shutdown, as well, around that time if a CR is not enacted before then

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 4, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- With open enrollment starting for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid eligibility changes going into effect, October 1st is a big day for the Department of Public Welfare (DPW). [DPW wants] to take this opportunity to give you an update on the ACA in case you have questions about what happens on October 1st

HARRISBURG - October 3, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency today is issuing this consumer advisory about predatory websites offering financial services that claim to be PHFA loans or that give the impression that PHFA endorses their product.