Tag: housing
Housing non-discrimination, employment non-discrimination bills make their way to Senate floor
A Senate committee voted to report bills that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in public employment and in housing.
Virginia Tech awarded two-year research project on the economics of housing in Virginia
Housing is part of the economic infrastructure of local communities and it is intertwined with other key economic components including construction, finance, property management, legal services, and professional services.
Ken Plum: Recent victories call for another
I continue to celebrate the human rights victories we have had recently in marriage equality, health care and housing. I voted against Virginia’s marriage amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman when it came before the General Assembly.
Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech explores housing innovation in new book
Researchers from the Virginia Center for Housing Research and the Urban Institute have taken a leading-edge look into innovation in the housing industry, conducting a new in-depth statistical analysis in this area of the industry.
Partnership with FamilyWize helps United Way of Greater Augusta save residents $2M on prescriptions
United Way of Greater Augusta and the FamilyWize Community Service Partnership have teamed up to make prescriptions more affordable for those without insurance or even those with insurance that doesn’t cover the medicine.
Not just one day: Veterans deserve a lasting commitment
Veterans Day is for those who return from war. Memorial Day is for those who have not survived. Two days to remind us in a multitude of ways how to remember, and also act. Our veterans need us now.
McAuliffe signs executive order strengthening Virginia housing policy
While speaking today at the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference, Governor Terry McAuliffe issued Executive Order 32 to advance critical components of Virginia’s housing policy agenda.
Charlottesville is quarterfinalist for $5 million Georgetown University Energy Prize
The City of Charlottesville is a quarterfinalist in the Georgetown University Energy Prize, a nationwide competition for small-to-medium sized communities to compete to win a $5 million grand prize by saving energy.
New TV ad pushes Sen. Warner’s commitment to Virginia military families, veterans
Today, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner’s re-election campaign announced a new ad, “Get It Right,” which highlights Senator Warner’s long history of fighting for the thousands of military men, women, veterans and families that reside in the Commonwealth.
Virginia moves to end veteran homelessness by end of 2015
On any given night, 617 veterans in Virginia are homeless based on the 2014 Point-In-Time Count, a survey of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons.
Livestock producers urged to enroll in Disaster Assistance Program by Oct. 1
Livestock producers that have experienced grazing losses since October 2011 and may be eligible for benefits but have not yet contacted their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office should do so as soon as possible.
USDA provides $328 million to conserve wetlands and farmland, boost economy
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that $328 million in funding is being invested to help landowners protect and restore key farmlands, grasslands and wetlands across the nation.
Virginia families need higher wages, Medicaid expansion
A new report shows that in Virginia, families are struggling with the reality of making ends meet on a limited budget while state legislators refuse to implement life and cost savings by expanding Medicaid.
McAuliffe announces improvements to Commonwealth hurricane preparedness
Governor Terry McAuliffe released a report Thursday outlining improvements to Virginia’s hurricane preparedness plan, including an adjustment to the evacuation decision-making timeline.
Enrollment for new dairy farm risk management program to begin Sept. 2
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that starting Sept. 2, 2014, farmers can enroll in the new dairy Margin Protection Program.
Denstock breaks ground in Augusta County
Denstock LLC, a Charlottesville, Virginia,-based real estate investment company, announced today that it has closed financing and started site work on The Apartments at Goose Creek, a $32 million multi-family community located in Fishersville.
Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission celebrates 45th year
The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) turns 45 in September, and the organization that was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1969 to establish regional cooperation as a cornerstone to long–term prosperity and economic success continues to distinguish itself as a model of what cooperation between government agencies can accomplish.
USDA announces $25M to turn commodities into value-added products
USDA is investing $25 million to help 247 businesses nationwide expand their operations and create new products to market.
Chris Graham: Race, partisan divide over Ferguson?
How naïve I am: silly white liberal ol’ me thought my visceral reaction to the ongoing police suppression of protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, demanding justice for an unarmed black teen shot to death by a police officer two weeks ago would be shared by my friends on the right and left and across the racial divide.
$11M in grants to end veterans homelessness in Virginia
Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will be awarding $11,312,352 in grants to help fight veterans’ homelessness in Virginia.
President Obama on economy, international situations, more at Dem event
Remarks at a Democratic Senate Campaign Committee event in Tisbury, Mass., from President Barack Obama on the economy, international situations and more.
McAuliffe announces creation of Children’s Cabinet and the Commonwealth Council on Childhood Success
Governor Terry McAuliffe today signed an Executive Order creating a cabinet solely dedicated to the education, health, safety, and welfare of Virginia’s children and youth.
Ralph Northam: Childhood success
The Commonwealth Council on Childhood Success is focused specifically on the health and education of young children, from infancy through age 8, and I am honored that Governor McAuliffe named me Chair of this new body.
Robert Hurt: Dodd Frank’s impacts continue to hamper Main Streets
Four years ago, President Obama signed the Dodd Frank Act, which was intended to address the underlying issues that led to the financial crisis and create a safer financial system.
Chris Graham: Immigrant invaders in Staunton
The Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center is housing seven children from Central America have been placed at the center in the past month. Meaning the world, as we know it, is coming to an end.
First participants in conservation stewardship program can renew
Producers with expiring USDA Stewardship Program contracts have from July 11 until Sept. 12, 2014 to renew and add conservation activities that will support their natural resource improvement activities and fine-tune their conservation plans.
Governor McAuliffe signs agreement to help end veteran homelessness
Gov. Terry McAuliffe has signed onto a national agreement aimed at ending veteran homelessness by the end of 2015.
Governor McAuliffe announces decrease in homelessness
Governor McAuliffe announced today that overall homelessness in the Commonwealth has declined 7.9 percent in the last year, with a 10.8 percent decrease in family homelessness and 14 percent decrease in veterans homelessness.
Wildlife Center of Virginia places bear with Knoxville Zoo
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Wildlife Center of Virginia announced today that the Knoxville Zoo has agreed to provide a permanent home for a yearling Black Bear that cannot be released back into the wild.
Committee passes housing finance reform backed by Warner
The U.S. Senate Banking Committee voted 13-9 to approve bipartisan housing finance reform legislation based on The Housing Finance Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2013.
AccuWeather.com predicts two East Coast landfall hurricanes in 2014
AccuWeather.com reports following a season with the fewest number of hurricanes since 1982, the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to follow suit as a below-normal hurricane season.
VCU Board of Visitors sets tuition for 2014-15
The VCU Board of Visitors on Friday approved a budget for 2014-2015 that includes a modest 3.5 percent tuition increase, a new $25-per-semester library fee and no increase in the mandatory university fees.
Kaine introduces bill to require DOD to listen to soldiers on pay
U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) have introduced legislation that would direct a DOD commission to take preferences of military personnel on their pay and benefits into account.
Derek Hyra announces release of policy papers
Today Derek Hyra, Democratic nomination candidate for Virginia’s Eighth Congressional District, announced the release of a number of policy white papers proposing substantive ideas to strengthen Northern Virginia communities and our country.
Luz Vega-Marquis: A living wage is an equal voice
Although the terms “minimum wage” and “living wage” are sometimes used interchangeably, their meanings are quite different. A minimum wage is the lowest a business can legally pay. A living wage is what its workers need to meet their families’ basic needs – to stave off the choice between a gallon of gas and a gallon of milk.
Dinner Diva: Why you should try to use organic food in your recipes
Around here you see a lot of articles and recipes calling for organic ingredients, you probably wonder why. Sometimes it is difficult to get organic ingredients so my feeling is that you should do your best to use the most naturally grown and prepared organic ingredients in all your dishes that you can reasonably accomplish and forget the rest.
Sherry Stewart Deutschmann: Low minimum wage is bad for women, families and business
As a small business owner myself, I don’t see the logic in business people arguing against increasing the minimum wage. It’s just not logical to pay people a wage that doesn’t even cover basics like food, housing, utilities and transportation needed to get to work.
UVa. Cooper Center official 2013 population estimates for Virginia
Population growth in Virginia slowed last year as fewer people moved to the state, but the commonwealth still outpaced the nation, according to the most recent official state population estimates from the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
Funding available for organizations serving summer meals to Virginia children
The Virginia Department of Health is looking for financially viable organizations that can serve meals to children during the summer months. Organizations that participate in the Summer Food Service Program will be reimbursed by VDH for the meals that are served.
Sen. Tim Kaine joins Senate effort to address affordable rental housing
In an effort to strengthen the economy and increase the supply of affordable rental housing across the country, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine joined a group of 32 U.S. senators in a letter urging the end the suspension of contributions to the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF).
Tim Kaine, Saxby Chambliss introduce SERVE Act of 2013
U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) introduced the Servicemember Education Reform and Vocational Enhancement (SERVE) Act of 2013, a bill to improve the quality of educational programs for servicemembers and veterans and help them transition into the civilian workforce.
Eric Shinseki: What veterans deserve
Last month, President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to former Captain William D. Swenson, United States Army, for heroism and gallantry above and beyond the call of duty in the Battle of the Ganjgal Valley on Sept. 8, 2009. At the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), we are honored to walk amongst, as well as work with, such heroes every day.
Ken Plum: Measure of being poor
I have always maintained that the poor in Northern Virginia are worse off than others living in less affluent parts of the state because the cost of living is higher in this region. The difference can be seen most clearly in the cost of housing; and there have been many notable efforts on the part of local governments to increase the stock of workforce, affordable housing. The traffic coming into Northern Virginia from the west and south is made up largely of people who cannot afford housing in the area.
Mark Warner: It’s time to really fix housing
Recently, I attended a community meeting hosted by faith leaders in Northern Virginia’s Prince William County that brought together more than 1,000 anxious homeowners and several leading mortgage lenders. Many other communities across Virginia also have experienced significant challenges as a result of the housing crisis. But Prince William County has led Virginia in foreclosures […]
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