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This week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment introduced by Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) that would expand the federal housing assistance program to cover previously ineligible expenses of low income mobile home owners. The bipartisan initiative was approved as an amendment to the Housing Opportunities Through Modernization Act (H.R. 3700), which passed the House and will now go to the Senate for further consideration.

Gov. Peter Shumlin today announced the completion of a 500 kilowatt solar net metering project at the Southern State Correctional Facility, the fifth of seven state correctional facilities to be powered by solar.

The Vermont Lottery, in a partnership with the Vermont Agency of Education, announces the second round technology grants for 2015 in the twice annual program to provide a competitive grant to K-12 public schools in the form of a cart of computing devices. The program will provide one set of 20 devices and a mobile cart to one awardee school. The devices will consist of either Apple iPads or Google Chromebooks (as selected by the school), and the devices will become the property of the school.

Eight rural, underserved Vermont communities are getting help to boost broadband internet speeds. The towns of Norwich, Pittsfield, Randolph, Royalton, Jamaica, Rochester, Reading, and Bradford will receive nearly $900,000 for speed improvement upgrades, Gov. Peter Shumlin announced today

At Blodgett Supply in Montpelier today, Rep. Peter Welch met with a broad cross-section of Vermont energy efficiency leaders to outline his efficiency priorities for the new Congress and learn about the latest energy efficiency innovations in Vermont. The roundtable discussion comes on the heels of House approval this week of Welch-authored energy efficiency legislation which President Obama will soon sign into law.

As the Northeast emerges from one of the most brutal winters on record, Rep. Peter Welch and Rep. Peter King (R-NY) have rallied a bipartisan coalition to fight for full funding of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). In a letter to the House Appropriations Committee penned by Welch and King, 146 lawmakers stressed the critical importance of this safety net program to struggling families.

At yesterday’s meeting, the City Council endorsed the use of an innovative streetscape design guide that will serve as a foundation for future roadway improvements. The Urban Street Design Guide, developed in 2013 by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) – an organization of transportation leaders in forward thinking cities – provides a flexible toolbox for cities to make streets safer, more livable, and more economically vibrant.

MONTPELIER, Vt. - December 12, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) - Mobile homes are nearly twice as likely to be located in a flood hazard area as stick built homes and were disproportionately impacted by Tropical Storm Irene. Unfortunately, mobile home residents often lack the resources necessary to repair or replace their homes, and difficult lessons were learned about the state’s preparedness for responding to disasters affecting this housing segment.

Burlington VT - October 16, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Residents of more than a dozen Vermont communities can now get help covering the upfront cost of energy projects for their homes, but they will need to act by October 31st

Montpelier, VT - October 9, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Vermonters like independent, local and sustainable initiatives. Following these values, the last few years have seen a strong advancement in renewables in Vermont – from wind and solar, to biomass, geothermal and hydropower. This success has brought new conversations to the table about the changes in Vermont’s landscape as we move to a renewable, resilient energy future

BURLINGTON - June 17, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Gov. Peter Shumlin today signed into law three bills that will improve access to energy efficiency and clean energy for Vermonters. The legislative package will provide new financing options through VEDA and the Treasurer’s Office for projects meeting state energy goals, make improvements to the state’s thermal efficiency programs, and streamline the permitting process for farm digester projects.

August 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Vermont Department of Health has noted an increase in the number of people who are reporting bats (mostly big brown bats) flying through open windows and doors and getting trapped inside homes and camps this summer.

June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Gov. Peter Shumlin today announced additional tax relief to help flood survivors who replaced mobile homes damaged or destroyed in either federally declared disasters that occurred in 2011, the spring flooding and Tropical Storm Irene. Specifically, a provision of Act 143 of 2012 makes purchases of these mobile homes tax-free for Vermont residents.

December 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Gov. Peter Shumlin and legislative leaders announced today that the state would add $6.1 million to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, to help ensure Vermonters can afford to heat their homes and stay warm this winter.

December 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The mobile home de-construction team assembled by Lt. Gov. Phil Scott and Secretary of Commerce and Community Development Lawrence Miller has finished their work in six mobile home parks around the state. The group will hold a press conference on Thursday to report on their work and answer questions.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said the Commodity Futures Trading Commission should adopt a rule with real teeth to limit oil speculators, not a watered-down measure set for a vote on Tuesday.

BURLINGTON, VT - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Vermont Housing Data Website (www.housingdata.org) has added hundreds of Census data including Census 2010 demographic information and detailed estimates on home heating sources and housing cost burdens from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS).

BURLINGTON, VT - March 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Executive Director Sarah Carpenter announced Robin Howe of Colchester has joined Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) as Multifamily Operations Specialist