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Senator, Mayors Murray, Strickland and Stephanson, along with advocates announce ambitious goals to expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit - an important federal tool for financing affordable housing

Set to develop an affordable housing strategy, the City Council Monday approved $75,000 for consultant assistance on the project. Staff provided the council with an update of the city's housing needs assessment and obtained affirmation of project goals for this year's work program. The consultant will be paid out of the city's Housing Trust Fund

Thanks to a financing partnership between the Washington State Housing Finance Commission and Habitat for Humanity of Washington State, the Spokane Habitat affiliate will be able to build or rehabilitate twice as many homes over the next few years.

Thanks to a financing partnership between the Washington State Housing Finance Commission and Habitat for Humanity of Washington State, the Tacoma-Pierce County Habitat affiliate will build seven new homes in Lakewood’s Tillicum area, as well as complete an ongoing community.

Thanks to a $5 million loan from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Tacoma and Spokane will build an additional 25 homes in each community in the next few years.

Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced the SCRA Enhancement and Improvement Act of 2016. This major legislation would increase protections for servicemembers, who in recent years have been subjected to unfair treatment when serving on active duty. Specifically, by enhancing the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), Murray’s bill would lower the cap on all loan interest rates to three percent when servicemembers are called to active duty, and zero percent if they are serving in areas where they are eligible for hostile fire or imminent danger pay.

GCAAR is pleased to update its market information through a partnership with ShowingTime RealEstate Business Intelligence (RBI). Monthly analysis of the Washington, DC and Montgomery County, MD housing markets gets more detailed attention here, while GCAAR continues to be your source for ear-to-the-ground reporting from our REALTOR® members. Get monthly housing stats at gcaar.com.

Two seafood processing and cold storage companies, Ocean Gold Seafoods Inc. and Ocean Cold LLC, have agreed to cut their releases of ozone-depleting and greenhouse gases from leaking refrigeration equipment at their facilities in Westport, Washington.

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Reps. John K. Delaney (Md.-6), Ben Luján (N.M.-3) and Suzan DelBene (WA-1) have filed resolutions in the House and Senate affirming the establishment of a national goal of more than 50 percent of America’s electricity production coming from clean and carbon-free electricity sources by 2030 and calling for the enactment of new legislation to achieve this goal.

Reps. Dave Reichert (R-WA) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced legislation to authorize a key phase of the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan, an initiative to better accommodate the water needs of the agricultural community, conservationists, residents, and other stakeholders in the Yakima River Basin region. Reps. Reichert and Newhouse made the following statements after introducing the bill

The Port of Everett wants to dig contaminated sediments out of Port Gardner Bay to help further develop one of the West Coast’s busiest deep-water seaports. The work would improve the local environment, Puget Sound and navigational access to the port’s Pacific Terminal

U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Denny Heck (WA-10) introduced a bill to help communities stop the spread of toxic stormwater runoff into key waterways. The legislation would create financing incentives to help state, Tribal, and local governments invest in Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI).

The capital budget proposal released today by the House invests $312 million into Washington state’s infrastructure – creating jobs and supporting the needs of our local communities. Rep. June Robinson (D-Everett) successfully requested funding for two projects to address homelessness in Everett and Snohomish County.

Clark County Public Health is advising that people and pets should avoid water contact in and around Lacamas Lake. A spill occurred near 4700 NW Pacific Rim Blvd. in Camas and the leak was repaired early this afternoon.

Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) urged transportation agencies in Washington’s 6th Congressional District to apply for a new round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) competitive grants. First established in 2009, TIGER funds local rail, road, and port projects with national significance.

The Board of County Councilors is seeking applicants to fill two positions on the Clark County Board of Equalization. One is a regular position and one is for an alternate.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) urged transportation agencies in Washington state to apply for recently announced Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) competitive grants. The grants available, totaling $500 million, are awarded on a competitive basis, and will support critical investments in roads and bridges, public transit, freight and passenger rail, and ports. TIGER is a unique, cost-effective program that helps state and local agencies tackle complex transportation and economic development challenges in their communities.

Student teams at Washington State University, in Pullman and Gonzaga University, in Spokane will receive the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s latest People, Prosperity and Planet grant awards of up to $15,000 to develop sustainability projects to improve energy conservation and wildfire resistance. The WSU and Gonzaga student teams are among 38 winning teams across the U.S. to compete and win the “P3” sustainability grants.

The Palouse-Rock Lake Conservation District is being recognized for leadership in making on-the-ground improvements that benefit healthy farms and protect clean water.

A strategy to boost water supplies for fish, irrigators and domestic users is being advanced by the Icicle Creek Work Group after months of negotiations and collaboration