The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University released its "State of the Nation’s Housing" report today.

The report shows home sales and housing starts nationwide staged an uneven comeback starting in early 2009. Improved affordability for first-time buyers and government intervention helped spark a turnaround and drove all of the increase in existing home sales last year, but record foreclosures continue to pressure markets and homeowners.

Despite positive signs early in the 2010 spring buying season, housing continues to face significant challenges.

NeighborWorks of Western Vermont won a $4.5 million grant for innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.

The Rutland County nonprofit housing organization received the grant — one of only 20 nationwide — for its proposal to save energy and create jobs retrofitting homes and municipal buildings.

"Working with our partners we will be able to retrofit 40 percent of the homes in Rutland County for energy savings, create an estimated 352 jobs, and show the entire country what a single county in Vermont can do with resources and the determination to get it done, " says Ludy Biddle, Executive Director of NeighborWorks of Western Vermont.

Seven Days newspaper's Shay Totten has written a follow-up to his article from a couple weeks ago about Burlington's Wharf Lane Apartments.

The piece, titled "Low-Income Residents Rally to Keep Their Homes," was published on the paper's blog today.

Read the article.

We've created a quick, online survey to gauge interest in the workshop topics we're considering for this fall's Vermont Statewide Housing Conference.

Take the survey now and help shape the conference.