Yearly Archives: 2015

Representative Steve Knight (CA-25) expressed frustration Friday afternoon after Senator Feinstein announced she would not allow a California drought relief measure to move forward as part of the end of the year spending bill.

Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) today announced that the U.S. House of Representatives has approved his proposal to increase the availability of badly-needed affordable housing in West Marin, by requiring the Coast Guard to convey its roughly 30-acre property located in Point Reyes Station to the County of Marin. The County intends to work with local partners to repurpose the property as affordable housing and community space

Moments ago, negotiators at the Conference of Parties (COP21) U.N. climate talks in Paris adopted a final agreement. We want to thank and congratulate President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry--along with their fellow world leaders--for succeeding in the difficult task of creating and adopting a deal that represents historic and meaningful progress to combat climate change.

House Members of the California Republican delegation, including U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-Fullerton), held a press conference today to address the status of California drought relief legislation negotiations.

Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) and Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) today led a letter signed by 32 other Members of Congress to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of the Treasury, urging they act to clarify that homeowners who receive rebates for water conservation and stormwater management improvements to their home should not be required to pay federal taxes on those rebates.

The fire that ruined buildings and snarled traffic in downtown Los Angeles this week may not have happened ten years ago. However, loosening of the building codes and the increasing importance on low-cost construction is putting Los Angeles and other areas at risk.

California Members of the House of Representatives released a timeline outlining water negotiations between the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate dating back to 2011. In addition, Members issued statements regarding their ongoing, years-long efforts to alleviate the impacts of California’s drought

The alliance was developed during the first West Coast Mayors Summit, a two-day convening of mayors from Portland, Seattle, Eugene, San Francisco and Los Angeles to discuss pressing issues affecting each of their cities: homelessness, housing, and climate action.

California Members of the House of Representatives released a timeline outlining water negotiations between the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate dating back to 2011. In addition, Members issued statements regarding their ongoing, years-long efforts to alleviate the impacts of California’s drought.

Without a working smoke detector, the risk of a tragic fire increases. The Community Development Department inspects over 4,000 homes annually through the Rental Housing Inspection Program. One item on the checklist is to locate working smoke detectors which is number one on the list of top 10 violations.

Christy Goldsmith Romero, Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP), and United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker announced yesterday that Andrea Ramirez, 47, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme that offered bogus loan modification programs to thousands of financially distressed homeowners who lost more than $7 million when they paid for services that were never provided. In addition to her prison sentence, Ramirez was ordered to pay $6,764,743 in restitution.

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-46) is fighting for low-income and middle-class Americans to have the opportunity to own their own home, provide a safe haven for family, and build wealth.

Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) testified before the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health in support of his legislation, H.R. 3484 – the Los Angeles Homeless Veterans Leasing Act of 2015. The legislation is currently pending in the House of Representatives and would give the VA authority to enter into enhanced-use leases for the construction of supportive housing for Veterans.

Rep. Paul Cook (R-Apple Valley) voted for HR 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act. This bipartisan bill updates and modernizes outdated energy policies. This bill helps America continue on the path to energy independence and creates new jobs

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) today announced a $1,975,339 Emergency Relief (ER) grant for the repair or reconstruction of federal-aid highways and roads on federal lands that have suffered serious damage as a result of the Valley Fire. The funds come from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Mercy Housing California on Thursday joined with its partners, First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles and the Stewart M. Ketchum Downtown YMCA, to celebrate the grand opening of the Ketchum-Downtown YMCA Preschool at its brand new location on the ground floor of Mercy Housing’s Caroline Severance Manor, an 85-unit supportive housing development.

Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced a goal for his second term of helping at least 8,000 people out of homelessness forever through strategies that stabilize people’s lives through the City’s nationally recognized housing and services and building a system that ends a person’s homelessness before it becomes chronic.

Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, Davis, Yuba City), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, applauded the overwhelming passage of H.R. 22, the FAST Act. The bill provides $305 billion in funding for highways, rail and transit over the next five years, including at least $26.3 billion for California—a significant increase over current funding levels.

Meridian, a full service real estate developer and owner of medical real estate, is pleased to announce that the firm’s 69,000-square-foot medical office building located at 5900 State Farm Drive in Rohnert Park, Calif. has received the prestigious 2015 HREI Insights Award in the category of “Best Renovated or Repurposed Healthcare Facility.”

U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) voted in favor of H.R. 22, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The five-year reauthorization bill passed the House by a vote of 359 to 65. Rep. Royce successfully amended the bill to allow California to receive a waiver from federal HOV regulations that would harm the state.