FEMA: Ten More Puerto Rico Municipalities Eligible for Individual Assistance after Recent Earthquakes
Ten more municipalities that were affected by the recent earthquakes that began in December have been designated as eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program. At the request of the Government of Puerto Rico, FEMA extended eligibility for Individual Assistance to Adjuntas, Cabo Rojo, Corozal, Jayuya, Lajas, Lares, Maricao, San Germán, San Sebastián and Villalba under the presidential…
FHFA: House Price Index Up 0.2 Percent in November; Up 4.9 Percent from Last Year
U.S. house prices rose in November, up 0.2 percent from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI). House prices rose 4.9 percent from November 2018 to November 2019. The previously reported 0.2 percent increase for October 2019 was revised upward to 0.4 percent. For the nine census divisions, seasonally adjusted monthly…
FEMA: President Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for North Dakota
FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of North Dakota to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by flooding beginning on Oct. 9 – 26, 2019. The President’s action makes federal funding is available to the state, tribal, eligible local governments and certain private…
Census Bureau: 2020 Census Kicks Off in Toksook Bay, Alaska
Census Takers Begin Counting Remainder of 220 Remote Alaska Villages as Part of National Headcount Today, the U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham kicked off the 2020 Census in the remote Alaska Native village of Toksook Bay — counting the first person and household in the nation’s once a decade count. “The 2020 Census is…
FEMA: President Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Vermont
FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Vermont to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms and flooding on Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, 2019. The President’s action makes federal funding available to the state, eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit…
HUD and Census Bureau: Residential Construction Activity Report for December 2019
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for December 2019. Building Permits Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,416,000. This is 3.9 percent (±1.6 percent) below the revised…
HUD: New Rule Proposed Recognizing Additional Building Codes and Standards to Encourage More Housing Development
Proposed Rule to Adopt New Safe Harbors for Complying with the Fair Housing Act’s Design and Construction Requirements in Multifamily Housing The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced a proposed rule that would recognize additional sets of standards and model building code editions that, when followed in the design and construction of new…
FEMA: President Trump Signs Major Disaster Declaration for Puerto Rico
FEMA announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to supplement Commonwealth and local response efforts to the emergency conditions in the area affected by earthquakes beginning on Dec. 28, 2019, and continuing. The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the municipalities of Guánica,…
FDIC: Money Smart for Small Business Credit and Banking Modules Updated
Enhanced tools can help banks support small businesses As part of their ongoing commitment to strengthening bank-community partnerships, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today released two updates to the popular Money Smart for Small Business curriculum. The updated modules focus on banking and credit, and are now available for banks…
ABA: Bank Economists Foresee Continued Economic Growth, Stable Interest Rates
The U.S. economy will continue to grow, add jobs and support wage gains in 2020 and beyond, according to the latest forecast of the American Bankers Association Economic Advisory Committee. There is broad agreement among the group’s 15 chief economists from some of North America’s largest banks, however, that the rate of growth is moderating….