Firefighter program lowers costs of houses - 2004-01-30
New Orleans Fire Department Superintendent Charles Parent and other city officials Thursday unveiled a public-private initiative to make it easier for the city's firefighters and other department employees to purchase a house.

The department's 788 employees, most of them firefighters, no longer have to figure out by themselves how to take advantage of a collection of special programs that could lower costs.
Read the full story at NOLA Live

Housing supply blunts the region's growth - 2004-01-30
As chairman of the governor's regional competitiveness council for the North of Boston area, Steven B. Kaufman of Avici Systems in Burlington has been engaging local business people over the past few months to listen to their concerns.

Toward that end, it will utilize existing MassHousing reserves and anticipated income from mortgage repayments to help finance new housing and push "smart growth" initiatives that encourage construction of affordable units in areas with existing infrastructure.
Read the full story at Gloucester Daily Times