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The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) is celebrating four decades of partnering, promoting and preserving safe, affordable housing for Californians. Hundreds of thousands of residents have benefited from its programs and products, and CalHFA is poised to open up opportunities to even more through its commitment to lending with a purpose.

Wind power has grown exponentially in California over the last dozen years, and now supplies enough energy to power 1,188,483 homes, a new report from Environment California Research & Policy Center said today. Last year alone, wind turbines in California averted over 9 million tons of carbon dioxide pollution, the equivalent to removing more than 1.9 million cars from the road

The planned renovation of Ocean View Senior Apartments in the coastal community of Pacifica is made possible in part through the extensive efforts of the California Housing Finance Agency, the State’s affordable housing bank.

As part of their ongoing work to increase affordable housing, address the needs of the homeless, create jobs and invest in the Los Angeles economy, Reps. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) and Karen Bass (D-Calif.) welcomed Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julian Castro this week to South Los Angeles.

U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) voted against two separate attempts to obstruct the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan. The Clean Power Plan would allow states, localities, and energy utility companies to set standards for reducing emissions and encourage investments in innovative, sustainable energy production

Christy Goldsmith Romero, Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) announced that Michael Lewis Parker, of Pomona, Calif., who worked at a Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. based business that offered bogus loan modifications was sentenced in California yesterday to serve a federal prison term of six years, and to pay restitution of over $6 million.

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced that the California Department of Justice will be formally joining the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office in the ongoing prosecution of multiple individual and corporate defendants charged with environmental crimes and other specified offenses related to the November 18, 2014 explosion at the Santa Clara Waste Water Company facility located in Santa Paula, California.

With the goal of helping more homeless individuals and veterans transition off the streets, Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer and City Councilmember Todd Gloria today announced the City's recently opened year-round indoor permanent housing program is on track to help more homeless individuals than ever before. The City program is a partnership with Father Joe's Villages and the San Diego Housing Commission, and replaced the need to erect temporary outdoor tents in the winter.

HGA Architects and Engineers (HGA), an integrated architecture, engineering and planning firm, announced today that renowned design leader, John Frane, has joined the firm as an associate vice president and principal in the Los Angeles office. As a design principal, Frane will continue his pursuit of high design work, combining his arts and culture-based experience with HGA’s extensive national resume of work in this arena.

Rep. Jerry McNerney (CA-09) and Rep. Carlos Curbelo (FL-26) led their House colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to the Chairs and Ranking members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, urging the conference committee on the transportation reauthorization bill to include a provision that strikes the prohibition that bars municipalities from using tax exempt bonds toward Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) projects

U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-Calif.) questioned U.S. Securities and Exchange (SEC) Chair Mary Jo White on the SEC's actions related to risk-sharing by the GSEs during a House Financial Services Committee hearing entitled “Examining the SEC’s Agenda, Operations, and FY 2017 Budget Request."

Mayor Garcetti’s sustainability agenda, which also includes aggressive solar power and green building targets, is detailed in the city's first-ever Sustainable City Plan (plan.lamayor.org). This comprehensive policy roadmap is preparing Los Angeles for an environmentally healthy, economically prosperous, and equitable future in a city that expects population growth of 500,000 people over the next 20 years.

Streamlining the permit process for solar energy installation will encourage the effective development of solar technology, and minimize the obstacles and permit costs for installation. Residential solar permitting fees have been reduced, saving more than half in permit costs. Previously, the permit fee for a residential solar system topped $1,000; however, with the new process, fees have been reduced to $304.

Under DWP’s Technical Assistance Program, commercial and industrial building owners can receive up to $250,000 for the installation of pre-approved equipment and products — such as cooling tower upgrades and re-circulation systems. Landscape rebates for turf removal are also available for commercial facilities at $1.75 per square foot up to 1,500 square feet. DWP also offers rebates related to the most water efficient urinals, toilets and faucets.

Expanded Counter Plan Check allows for modest projects — like multi-floor tenant improvements, medium-sized home additions and others — to be reviewed on the same day instead of waiting weeks with larger projects.

Pushing wheelbarrows full of signed postcards and petitions from residents throughout the state, a diverse coalition of consumer, environmental, faith, public health, environmental justice, and business organizations gathered on the steps of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to deliver more than 130,000 signatures in support of net metering, a critical solar policy

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (H.R. 3763), a six-year bill to authorize highway and transit programs across the United States. Several amendments to benefit Ventura County and authored by Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village) were approved by the Committee.

New Strategies to Keep Teachers Living in San Francisco Include Building Educator Housing, Developing Rental Subsidy Program, Provide Downpayment Loan Assistance & Greater Tenant Counseling & Eviction

The sharp increase in housing demand has led to skyrocketing home prices, shutting out a large percentage of the potential home buyers. The latest California Association of REALTORS® housing affordability report indicates every region in the state, except Kings County, posted lower affordability in the second quarter compared to the previous quarter

Democratic Members of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, led by Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), and the House Homeland Security Committee, led by Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee voicing opposition to language in the Senate-approved highway bill (H.R. 22) that would divert customs revenue away from border security needs to fund future highway projects.