Under One Roof | Keeping up with the National Housing Conference and Center for Housing Policy
We are all stronger together
In this issue
Under One Roof

A look at the National Housing Conference, its members, and news and events from around housing.

Editor
Amy Clark

Contributors
Chris Estes
Ethan Handelman
Amy Clark
Marice Fernando
Rebekah King
Radiah Shabazz
Lisa Sturtevant

To pitch stories, submit event listings or share happenings in the housing world, or with questions,
email Amy Clark at:
 
Organizations In This Issue 

Housing Partnership Network
ACTION Housing
Nevada-HAND
Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
Baltimore Housing
Bipartisan Policy Center
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Metropolitan Planning Council
Enterprise Community Partners
Waypoint Homes
Center for Community Progress
National Community Land Trust Network
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy 


People In This Issue
 
Rebecca Regan
Raymond Skinner
Paul Graziano
Julia Ryan
Mona Mangat
Breann Gala
Rob Grossinger
Colin Wiel
Alan Mallach 
NHC CALENDAR 

NHC Events
 
Please mark your calendars for the upcoming NHC events: 

Regional Housing Forum
October 22, 2014 
Chicago, IL

Solutions 2014 Conference
November 18-20, 2014
Oakland, CA 

Capital One Webinar Series
Learn more
 
Member & Partner Events
 
August 19-20, 2014
Atlanta, GA 

September 7-9, 2014
Washington, DC

September 15-16, 2014
Washington, DC 

September 18-19, 2014
Chicago, IL

October 3, 2014
San Francisco, CA

October 9-10, 2014
San Francisco, CA

October 14-17, 2014
Denver, CO

Raleigh, NC

October 16, 2014
Washington, DC

San Diego, CA 

October 16-18, 2014
Baltimore, MD 

October 19-22, 2014
Nashville, TN

October 19-22, 2014
Las Vegas, NV

GreenBuild Conference & Expo
October 22-23, 2014
New Orleans, LA

October 28, 2014
Boston, MA

November 4, 2014 
Columbus, OH

November 6-7, 2014
Washington, DC 

November 7-10, 2014
New Orleans, LA























































































































































AUGUST 2014

From the Front Porch Chris Estes
No sleep 'til Solutions
We're busy this summer planning our conference for you

 

Congress has left town for August recess without making much progress on appropriations or other major legislation. We expect a continuing resolution to keep program funding at current levels through the November election. At that point, election outcomes will dictate how much progress can be made on legislation.

 

This does not mean, however, that Washington or NHC will be inactive this month. We are working to finalize all of the details of Solutions 2014, the National Conference on State and Local Housing Policy, and have many exciting workshops scheduled that make this a can't-miss event for the affordable housing community. Please take a look at the agenda on our website to see all that is offered.

 

As with last year's event in Atlanta, we will offer four main workshop tracks, plus a track of bonus sessions and a track of roundtable discussions for experienced practitioners. Ethan writes about our Restoring Neighborhoods track below, but I wanted to note the workshops focusing on both reinvestment and gentrification strategies in Ohio, Georgia and California, and on how two cities have used HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration to revitalize their public housing stock.

 

 

Read More >>

 

Washington Wire
NHC's weekly housing news update from inside the Beltway

Congress adjourns without appropriations legislation


by Rebekah King

   

Congress has adjourned for its August recess without passing appropriations legislation. The House has passed seven of the 12 appropriations bills, including the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill. The Senate has not passed any appropriations legislation, although its appropriations subcommittee work thus far has shown more bipartisanship and compromise than in the House. Speaker Boehner has said that the House will consider a short-term continuing resolution (CR) that would expire sometime in December, when Congress could negotiate an omnibus spending bill. Given the midterm elections coming in November, a CR seems increasingly likely.

   


 

First Lady speaks out about veterans' homelessness 

 

by Rebekah King

  

First Lady Michelle Obama has made ending veterans' homelessness a priority issue by launching the Mayors' Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. She spoke about the new initiative at both the L.A. Summit to End Homelessness and the National Alliance to End Homelessness conferences in July. In her recent speeches, she highlighted programs in Phoenix, Salt Lake City and New Orleans, including recent work by Volunteers of America (an NHC Leadership Circle member). Mrs. Obama also praised practitioners for reducing veterans' homelessness by 24 percent over the past three years.

 


 

SIGTARP report triggers renewed look at HAMP 

 

by Rebekah King and Ethan Handelman

  

Last week, the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) published its latest quarterly report, which included an update on the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) application processing backlog. As of May 31, 2014, according to the report 221,500 borrowers were waiting for responses, an increase of 65 percent from November 2013. Delays in resolving troubled loans have negative consequences for borrowers, lenders and surrounding neighborhoods, so this report certainly warrants attention. We suspect many factors are at play, and we expect that servicers, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Treasury Department, housing counselors and others can all shed light on exactly what the backlog statistic is measuring and what actions could correct it.

 

   

HUD filling vacant leadership positions

 

by Rebekah King

 

HUD, with the help of the Senate and White House, is moving to fill some of the vacant leadership positions within the agency. On July 30, the Senate confirmed Erika Moritsugu as the new Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations at HUD. On July 31, the White House announced its intent to nominate Lourdes M. Castro Ram�rez as the new Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing at HUD. She currently serves as the President and CEO of the San Antonio Housing Authority.

 

 

Learn about framing and messaging in August 12 webinar 

 

by Rebekah King

 

On Aug. 12, NHC's Amy Clark, with Janet Byrd and Matt Kinshella of Neighborhood Partnerships, will explain how science-based communications techniques can be beneficial and how you can incorporate the tools in your work. Attendees will also get a brief introduction to NHC's Housing Communications HUB and find out where other useful housing communications resources can be found. To register and get more information on previous webinars, visit NHC's website.

 

 

Transit agencies are becoming developers

 
by Rebekah King

Transit agencies around the country are getting into real estate development to raise revenue for new projects, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article. With less public funding available, some agencies are looking to development as a way to monetize the increasing land value around new transit. The flip side of that value, however, is that rising land costs around transit can quickly make housing unaffordable. Fortunately, some jurisdictions are also strategically investing in real estate development projects that create affordable housing near transit stations. One example is in Oakland, Calif., where BRIDGE Housing (an NHC member) is building a large, mixed-use, mixed-income housing community on an underutilized parking lot owned by Bay Area Rapid Transit. BRIDGE Housing's project will be one of many examples of affordable transit-oriented development strategies featured and discussed in greater detail at NHC's upcoming Solutions 2014 conference.

 

NHC Family Room
news from NHC's family of members

Housing Partnership Network wins $38 million in New Markets Tax Credits

 

by Radiah Shabazz

 

Last month NHC member Housing Partnership Network (HPN), in partnership with Affirmative Investments, Inc., was awarded $38 million in funding from the New Markets Tax Credits Program. HPN and Affirmative Investments will use the funding in collaboration to provide investment capital to new and existing projects.


On the combined strength of HPN's membership in target service areas and the experience Affirmative Investments has in structuring and closing New Markets Tax Credit deals, the award will jump-start HPN's support of mixed-use development projects in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Nevada. HPN will provide management support, pipeline developments and organizational oversight to the joint venture.


 

Read More >>

  



Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development announces changes to
Maryland Homefront initiative 

by Radiah Shabazz
 

NHC member Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced last month new rate reductions to its Maryland Homefront initiative that will make homeownership more accessible and affordable for veterans and active-duty military members. The initiative makes veteran and active military homebuyers eligible for a reduced interest rate on a mortgage loan through Maryland's Mortgage Program and a discount on fees from the Maryland Home Credit federal tax credit. 

 

Changes to Maryland Homefront will allow borrowers to see a 0.25 percent rate reduction on current rates of loans issued through the Maryland Mortgage Program. Buyers who purchase their homes before Dec. 15, 2015 will be eligible to receive 25 percent of their mortgage interest paid as a federal tax credit up to $2,000 through the Maryland Home Credit. Other benefits of the program include down payment assistance and homebuyer education services. 

 

Read More >>

 


 

Baltimore Housing celebrates preservation of affordable senior housing


by Radiah Shabazz

   

Last month NHC member Baltimore Housing celebrated the preservation of Memorial Apartments, a housing development for seniors in the city's Bolton Hill neighborhood. The complex is designed to enhance the living experience of seniors 65 and older and foster independence and the ability to age in place.

 

Construction on the apartments will preserve 266 state-of-the-art affordable units for seniors. The building will be updated with central heating and cooling, solar hot water systems, elevators and windows. A multipurpose room will also be added, along with a library and computer lab, fitness center, community gardens and a catering kitchen.

 

 

Read More >>

 

Briefing Room
news from the NHC and the Center

NHC forum to connect people and solutions in Chicago

  

by Amy Clark

 

On October 22, join the National Housing Conference and Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago for a regional housing forum on the past, future and promise of affordable housing.

 

In a concentrated day of information-packed and thoughtful discussion, you'll hear from regional and national housing and community development leaders on what we've learned from the housing boom, bust and ongoing recovery; the potential for reviving neighborhoods; the social return to housing investment; and emerging service-enriched housing models. You'll come away with new ideas that will power your work-and new relationships that will expand your professional network.

 

The National Housing Conference has long convened the housing community to discuss topics of vital interest and to spur action. This convening is the first of what we hope will be an annual event in a different region each year.

 

The October 22 forum will provide sessions of interest to affordable housing developers, state and local government officials, community development professionals, social service providers, lenders and philanthropists. Learn more and register free today at www.nhc.org/HousingRegional2014 
 

  

BPC Housing Commission summit to address top housing issues

 

by Amy Clark

  

When the Bipartisan Policy Center Housing Commission released its centerpiece report on the components of a resilient housing system last year, the housing community took notice. The commission's vision for housing's future covered the continuum of housing and included ideas that people from a variety of perspectives could agree on. 
 

Now the BPC Housing Commission is stepping forward with another big idea: Housing America's Future, the New Directions for National Policy 2014 Housing Summit. The event, to be held Sept. 15-16, in Washington, DC, will provide an opportunity for private-sector experts, elected officials, scholars and housing community leaders to discuss and debate American housing policy.

 

The challenges we face are great, but as the Housing Commission report demonstrates, opportunities exist for positive change. This summit will give you the opportunity to connect with those on the forefront of housing policy and help set housing's new direction. Visit the BPC Housing Commission site today to learn more and register. Seating is limited, so take action today. 

 


   

NHC Leadership Circle member to be honored

 

by Amy Clark
 

David Reznick, cofounder of NHC Leadership Circle member CohnReznick LLP, will be inducted Oct. 29 into the Montgomery County (Md.) Business Hall of Fame.


CohnReznick provides for-profit and nonprofit developers, public housing authorities, state housing credit agencies, syndicators, investors and lenders with a range of accounting, tax and business advisory services. Since first establishing Reznick Group in 1977, Reznick helped to lead that firm's growth from one office to a top 20 CPA firm with offices nationwide.


The Montgomery County Business Hall of Fame is a celebration of individuals who have made a substantial impact on the Montgomery County business community. Proceeds from the induction event will benefit the scholarship programs at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG), the University System of Maryland's regional educational center.

 

Want to share your achievements with the housing community? Contact NHC communications associate Radiah Shabazz to share news of an award, promotion or other professional success.

 

Policy Workshop
what we're building

How NHC members are shaping Solutions 2014 

  

by Ethan Handelman 

   

Policy work isn't just about knocking on the doors of members of Congress. Indeed, with Congress out all this month and campaigning when the recess ends, it's clear we need to focus elsewhere. NHC members are rolling up their sleeves to develop new ideas about housing policy that can work at the state, local and (when the time is right) federal levels. In part, they're doing so in preparation for our Solutions 2014 conference coming up this November in Oakland.

 

This year's conference has sessions created and shaped by NHC members. Some were topics I knew were essential to our mission but that members presented in new and interesting ways. Some topics were welcome surprises to me. They are critical issues for affordable housing but ones not immediately apparent to me sitting at my desk in D.C. Just two examples from my Restoring Neighborhoods track:

  

 

Read More >>

 

Research Lab from the Center for Housing Policydeveloping solutions through research

Making the connection between research and practice

  

by Lisa Sturtevant, Ph.D.

 

As NHC's research division, the Center for Housing Policy increases awareness of housing needs and identifies promising solutions to housing challenges through timely and accessible research. Being able to connect research to practice to support local housing policy development is one thing that differentiates the Center's work from others'. When we analyze data, synthesize research findings, evaluate best practices or describe housing innovations, we try to keep our audience in mind, whether it be local advocates, housing finance agencies, or local housing planners, and develop materials that will be most useful to them.

 

We recently completed a large project that highlights our commitment to conducting rigorous research that has concrete applications and can be accessed by practitioners in a variety of ways. In partnership with the National Community Land Trust Network and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, the Center just completed a six-month project assessing the prospects for inclusionary housing programs to ensure lasting affordability. Inclusionary housing policies are local land use policies that link approvals for market-rate housing to the creation of affordable homes for low- and moderate-income households. The ability to not only produce affordable homes, but also to ensure their long-term affordability, is critical for meeting the housing needs of the families and individuals that inclusionary housing programs aim to serve. Even as inclusionary housing programs have become more prevalent, there has been a lack of information on successful strategies for facilitating lasting affordability, and this work has filled an important gap.

 

 

Read More >>

    

  

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Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036

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