Global Scans · Homes · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: The number of smart homes is expected to grow further and by 2020 it is expected 46.2 million homes in the US and 44.9 million in Europe will be classed as smart homes. By 2022 there could be nearly 500 smart devices that can be connected to a smart home.

• [New] New York will receive $158 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to implement a residential rebate program to help households install energy-efficient appliances. Utility Dive
• [New] The City of New Orleans was recently awarded $398,500 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Compost and Food Waste Reduction Program to increase the capacity of local composting organizations that will make it more accessible for residents. NOLA.gov
• [New] Solar for All is expected to: Serve 900K households over 5 years; Increase solar capacity for low-income households by a third; Drive cost savings of $350 million on utility bills for American families. The White House
• [New] Higher borrowing costs will massively inflate the cost of the green transition, the Resolution Foundation said, with families set to spend an extra £29bn annually on energy by 2050 if rates do not return to 2019 levels. The Telegraph
• [New] More US deliveries of air defence systems might come after the US House of Representatives passed a package over the weekend of $61 billion in support, including $13.8 billion for Ukraine to buy weapons. The Boston Globe
• [New] Today's announcement will invest billions to ensure that affordable housing across the U.S. can access solar and increase energy efficiency and climate resilience. US EPA
• [New] $976 million will be provided to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation over 5 years, starting in 2024 to 2025, to build housing for people who are not able to afford housing built under existing programs. National Union of Public and General Employees
• [New] The US House of Representatives on Saturday approved long-delayed military aid to Ukraine in a rare show of bipartisan unity, while also bolstering Israel and Taiwan defences and threatening to ban Chinese-owned TikTok. Yahoo News
• [New] Members in the US House of Representatives have quickly passed legislation to provide to Ukraine and Israel and bolster Taiwan while also threatening a ban on TikTok if it fails to divest from Beijing. RTE
• [New] The House of Representatives on Saturday passed a bill that includes more than $14 billion in military aid to Israel and more than $9 billion in humanitarian aid, much of which will go to Gaza. Insider
• [New] The US House of Representatives will finally vote on Saturday on a series of foreign aid bills, bringing an end to a months-long standoff in Congress led mostly by Republicans who refuse to support funding Ukraine's ongoing military defence against Russia's invasion. The Guardian
• [New] The House's version of the aid bill pushes the Biden administration to provide long-range ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) to Ukraine, which could be used to target Russian supply lines. The Independent
• [New] $477.2M over five years, starting in 2024-25, and $147.8M in future years, to launch a new $1.5 B Canada Rental Protection Fund, to be administered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, to protect the stock of affordable housing in Canada. Miller Thomson LLP
• [New] Russia could be encouraged by the U.S. debate over aid for Ukraine and called on the House of Representatives to pass a Ukraine aid bill. CNBC
• [New] Budget 2024 proposes to provide $5 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to support an overhaul of the Canada Lands Company to expand its activities to build more homes on public lands. Construction Association Of Nova Scotia
• [New] Building More Homes - Budget 2024 proposes to provide an additional $400 million over four years, starting in 2024-25, to the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation, to top up the Housing Accelerator Fund. Construction Association Of Nova Scotia
• [New] Currently in the planning phase, the subsea cable could connect up to 1.4GW of offshore wind between the UK and Belgium, powering up to 1.4m UK homes. Prometheus Institute
• [New] Each citizen of the Russian Federation will be able to access cloud services in the field of medicine, power, housing and communal services and much more. TAdviser.ru
• [New] From a household perspective, energy efficiency measures can improve housing conditions, as often reported in the UK and Northern Irish context, but they can also threaten to increase housing costs and lower housing security. MDPI
• [New] Households could save between 75 and 90% off the cost of their electricity bill by installing solar panels, and latest industry figures show more than 183,000 installations were carried out across the UK last year. Business Mondays
• [New] A $1.5 million investment this year will support a new incentive for encouraging students enrolled in health care training programs in other provinces where Saskatchewan has invested in specific training seats to come home. Government of Saskatchewan
• [New] $112.6M over five years, starting in 2024-25, and $4.3 million in future years, for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to top up the Federal Lands Initiative to unlock more federal lands for affordable housing providers. Miller Thomson LLP
• [New] Settlers reportedly established at least two new illegal outposts this week near Palestinian communities which have been repeatedly attacked by settlers in the past months and are at imminent risk of being forcibly transferred from their homes and land. HuffPost

Last updated: 27 April 2024