Foreclosure levels in the United States remain high and the housing market remains weak as we enter 2010. The economic recession and unemployment have created new issues for states to deal with in addition to the existing challenges related to foreclosure. This Issue Brief summarizes new state laws enacted during 2009 to address foreclosure. It serves as an update to the NGA Center’s 2008 report, State Actions to Tackle the Foreclosure Crisis.

Buildings consume more energy than any other sector of the U.S. economy and account for the majority of the nation’s electricity consumption. To help states develop strategies to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings and reduce costs and emissions, the NGA Center announced six states have been selected to participate in the Policy Academy on State Building Efficiency Retrofit Programs.

The NGA Center released a series of reports analyzing emerging "green" economies in each state. The in-depth profiles of each state are available on the NGA Center Web site.