The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a report evaluating the scope of homelessness in America.  HUD’s “Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress”, the first of its kind in more than 20 years, estimates that 754,000 people nationwide live in emergency shelter, transitional housing, or on the streets on any given day.  The homeless population, in California, contains an estimated 188,300 people, including more than 24,000 veterans and more than 17,700 children under the age of 18.

According to the report, 65 percent of the adult homeless population are men, 41 percent are between 31 and 50 years of age, and 75 percent are in central cities.

The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® reports that home sales decreased 12.6 percent in January.  The median price of an existing single-family home in California increased 1.9 percent in January.  The median price declined in all areas except Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area, and Riverside/San Bernardino.  The unsold inventory of existing homes jumped to 9.1 months in January, after staying around the long-run average of 7 months since the middle of 2006.

The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight reported that the average U.S. home price rose only 1.12 percent in the fourth quarter of 2006, compared with 3.03 percent in the fourth quarter of 2005.  During 2006, home prices rose by 5.9 percent, compared to a 13.2 percent increase in 2005.

The U.S. Commerce Department says that new home sales fell 16.6 percent in January, the largest decline in 13 years. 

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has scheduled a series of public workshops to discuss the Proposed Modification to the Draft 2007 Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP).  According to their bulletin, the date, time and place are as follows:

ü      March 13, 2007 – 2 p.m. – East Anaheim Community Center, 8201 E. Santa Ana Canyon, Anaheim Hills

ü      March 13, 2007 – 6 p.m. – AQMD Room GB, 21865 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar

ü      March 15, 2007 – 9:30 a.m. – Riverside Convention Center, 3443 Orange Street, Riverside

ü      March 15, 2007 – 2 p.m. – Rancho Cucamonga Council Chambers, 10500 Civic Center Dr, Rancho Cucamonga

One item of interest is Proposed Rule 445 – Wood Burning Appliances:  The purpose of the rule would be to reduce the emission of particulate matter from wood burning appliances.  It would apply to any person that manufactures, sells, offers for sale, or operates a permanently installed, indoor or outdoor, wood burning appliance or portable outdoor wood burning appliance; any person that sells, offers for sale, or supplies wood for wood burning appliances, and any person that installs a wood burning appliance within the South Coast Air Quality Management District.