Officials from both parties have halted proposed warehouse conversions in several states, even as federal officials continue exploring a 1,500-detainee processing facility near Orlando.
The tragedies in Philadelphia and the Bronx have put a spotlight back on the country’s deplorable housing market for the poorest families. Proposals to fix and fund the problem are on the table.
States and localities have been slow to spend federal emergency money.
The state will receive millions in federal aid over the next five years to invest in its bridges, 21.2 percent of which have been deemed structurally deficient, more than 14 percent higher than the national average.
While the state tracks data on job loss, inflation and rising housing costs, it does not include eviction numbers, leading many officials to underestimate the number of renters who need financial aid.
Much attention has been given to the billions the bill will put toward bridges, cybersecurity and more. But behind the big-ticket items are many small projects. Here are some that will impact state and local government.
The nation’s four largest cities are among those requesting more leeway to challenge undercounts.
Barring unknowable virus mutation scenarios, state and local fiscal managers have the opportunity to navigate trends and crosscurrents already underway to make better decisions. One factor figures into almost everything: inflation.
The state has two community coalitions as finalists in the “Build Back Better Regional Challenge,” which would spur economic growth and job creation in the Middle Rio Grande Corridor.
This year taught us to humbly expect the unexpected, from hundreds of billions in federal “helicopter money” to $35,000 bonuses to lure back retired transit workers. And how is your public pension fund doing on something called ESG?
A report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that the city had 28 issues, including insufficient oversight, conflicts of interest and inaccurate documentation, in its administration of federal grants.
Millions in Washington state still do not have reliable access to high-speed Internet, making online life nearly inaccessible. Local and tribal governments will soon be able to apply for federal grants to expand broadband services.
Bureaucratic, compliance-driven contracting systems do little to create sustainable and equitable communities. Done better, procurement could be a creative tool for problem-solving.
Illinois and seven other states want the federal government to reinstate a pause on interest rates for loans used to pay unemployment benefits in the beginning of the pandemic. If left unpaid for a year, Illinois could owe $100 million in interest.
The rules for spending federal COVID-19 relief funds include a disinvitation to invention. State, local and tribal governments need to be able to try new things — and then stop some of them.
The state Department of Transportation has received a $10 million grant to transform an Amtrak station into a centralized transportation hub with retail opportunities and exhibits. The new station is expected to open in 2025.
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