Category Archives: Uncategorized

 Building codes in North Carolina may cost the state up to  $70 million in FEMA funds. FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program uses a point system to assess potential projects. North Carolina automatically loses 5 points because it uses the 2015 International Building Code standards which the Legislature has not updated. NC […]

The US Forest Service budget for tree planting increased by a factor of 40. The budget is now $1.5 billion. Tree planting has been shown to lower heat in urban areas and prevent a significant number of heat related deaths. Look no further than to the large tree canopies of live oaks for urban cooling.  […]

Alaska is exploring hydrogen stored in Alaska’s metamorphic rock could fuel the state’s energy industry. Alaska is exploring energy options. The state’s fishing industry has lost $1.8 billion in 2022-203 due to changing environment. Governing | Is Underground Hydrogen the Key to Alaska’s Clean Energy Future?

A 2023 Brookings Institution Report shows that rents in areas increase 4-6% after a disaster. The rents continue to remain elevated for years after the disaster. After hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022, insurance rates for renters in Florida were 4 times the national average. Route Fifty | How renters often get left behind in […]

Theft or vandalism of a legally placed political sign on private property is a crime in all 50 states. Findlaw

California voters will cast a ballot on Prop 33. Prop 33 would repeal of the state’s restrictions on local rent control. The pros/cons: “While rent control — caps on rent increases — provides relief to tenants, some economists suggest there are significant trade-offs: Rent control policies can lead to higher rents for uncontrolled units, reduce landlords’ incentive to […]

A proposal to convert unused or underused parking garages and lots into housing units says it can help solve the housing crisis. Los Angeles transformed an underused parking lot it owns into apartments for low-income or homeless seniors. Route Fifty | Can parking garages alleviate the housing and homelessness crisis?

A court case before the Iowa Supreme Court is one to watch concerning pre condemnation access to land. The issue is whether “it is unconstitutional for a pipeline company to undertake land surveys and examinations before it is vested with eminent domain.” What would today’s U.S. Supreme Court do with this? KCCI | Iowa Supreme […]

 This week we followed a series of articles about how Montana’s much hyped affordable housing legislation of year(s) past isn’t as amazing as they say.  That reality is running full steam ahead into the election. You know the one, U.S. Senator Tester (D). Tester is making the case for the reality of housing in his state. […]

 Some say that the actions of NC legislature made housing more affordable but also made homes more vulnerable to damage. It is said that legislators in the last 15 years rejected limits on “construction on steep slopes; blocked a rule requiring homes to be elevated above the height of an expected flood; weakened protections for […]