Upcoming Hill Reception: LIHEAP Action Day, NEMW Coalition/Edison Electric Institute    

Tuesday July 31st marks the bi-annual Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Action day.  Funded through the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, LIHEAP makes grants to states and other jurisdictions to assist eligible low-income households in meeting home energy (heating or cooling) costs.  LIHEAP is an extremely important program for the wintry and populous NEMW region, and NEMW Members routinely help lead congressional funding efforts for this program, which received $3.472 billion in FY2012.  The House and Senate are currently advancing their FY2013 bills, and the NEMW Senate and Congressional Coalitions are coordinating a reception sponsored by the Edison Electric Institute, a trade association of U.S. Shareholder-Owned Electric Companies, to meet with stakeholders, state agencies, constituents, and nonprofit advocates on LIHEAP on 7/31 in the Capitol Visitor's Center, Congressional Meeting Room South from 5-7pm.  

Connecting Communities Presentation on Effective Land Banking Strategies 

The Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank will host a Connecting Communities webinar on Effective Land Banking Strategies in Different Markets on August 1, 2012 at 4:00 pm (EDT). The presentation will address the variables in local housing markets such as the acquisition costs of excess properties, the ownership status of vacant and abandoned property, and the local demand for housing that affect local land banking solutions.  Speakers for this session include:

• Frank Alexander, Sam Nunn Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law
• Thomas Fitzpatrick, Economist, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
• Chris Norman, Executive Director, Fulton County/City of Atlanta Land Bank Authority

Jacob Wascalus, Community Development Project Manager, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, will serve as moderator.  Register here.  Once registered, call-in information and a confirmation email will be sent.  Questions for the session can be submitted via e-mail to communities@stls.frb.org.