Archinect - News

$2 trillion federal emergency economic aid package has been signed into law, how will it impact architects?

2020-03-27T16:50:00-04:00

The United States Senate and House of Representatives have both passed the CARES Act, $2 trillion economic aid package crafted in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, the largest government stimulus in the history of the United States. The historic effort, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump Friday afternoon, bears wide implications for American architecture firms and their workers.

For one, the plan will deliver a one-time $1,200 direct payment from the federal government to most individuals in the country making less than $75,000, with a slew of protections and expanded benefits for people who have lost their jobs or have had their businesses impacted by the economic slowdown put in place to slow the spread of the virus. For individuals, the package also offers relief from certain student debt obligations, as well as allotments for students to receive certain types of aid and income through the duration of the crisis.

The plan also expands who can apply...

Legislation seeks to create national design-focused school safety database

2019-09-25T12:45:00-04:00

The United States Senate has taken up consideration of The School Safety Clearinghouse Act, a measure that would create a centralized database holding information on school safety measures.

The federally funded and held archive would provide a vetted "resource where officials can find best practices for school security and design," according to Senator David Purdue of Georgia, one of the sponsors of the bill. According to the American Institute of Architects, who lobbied Congress on behalf of the bill, the legislation would provide state and local officials with "unbiased information for making their schools safer through design."

In a statement reported by The Hill, Senator Perdue added, "As an engineer by trade, I believe the first step to improving school security is addressing the structural safety of schools. Our bill would simply create a resource where state and local officials can find best practices for school security and design."

Information held within the database, wh...

Elizabeth Warren co-signs letter urging feds to investigate sharing economy

2016-07-14T13:18:00-04:00

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D), the senior Senator from Massachusetts, has co-signed a letter requesting that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigate the degree to which short-term lodging services are composed of "persons or firms acting in a commercial manner by renting out entire residences or multiple residences simultaneously".

The letter, co-authored by Senators Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Diane Feinstein of California, marks a major move by lawmakers towards intervening in the so-called "sharing economy".

“[W]e are concerned that short-term rentals may be exacerbating housing shortages and driving up the cost of housing in our communities,” the Senators state in the letter.

The letter brings up concerns about racial discrimination with Airbnb, and questions the economic impact of the company. Studies have found that Airbnb contributes to rising rents and housing shortages.

h/t the Guardian

For more on the sharing economy, check out past coverage:

Falling through the sharing ec...