Some presentations for 2023 Housing Works sessions will be accessible on this page as they become available.
Day 1 | October 23, 2023
9:30 a.m. | Registration Opens
9:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. | Continental Breakfast
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Welcome and Keynote Address
David Bennett, president, Centrant Community Capital, Raleigh
Samuel Gunter, executive director, NC Housing Coalition, Durham
Scott Farmer, executive Director, NC Housing Finance Agency, Raleigh
Shane Phillips
Shane Phillips is a researcher, public speaker and consultant on housing policy and affordability. He manages the Housing Initiative within the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies, focusing on research, policy analysis and education and he co-hosts the UCLA Housing Voice Podcast, a biweekly interview show that translates emerging research for a non-academic audience. Read more.
12:15–1:45 p.m. | Housing North Carolina Awards Luncheon
Join us for the 2023 Housing North Carolina Awards luncheon. The 34-year-old Housing North Carolina Awards honor the very best in affordable housing development. Recognition is given in the following categories: Rental Development, Home Ownership Impact (Development), Home Ownership Impact (Rehabilitation) and Supportive Housing.
Scott Farmer, executive director, NC Housing Finance Agency, Raleigh
1:45–2:00 p.m. | Break
2:00–3:15 p.m. | Breakout Sessions
Annual Developers Workshop
This intensive workshop outlines proposed changes to the 2024 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) and explains how applications for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) will be evaluated in 2024. Learn what you need to know to apply next year.
NC Housing Finance Agency Presentation
Scott Farmer, executive director and Tara Hall, manager of rental development, NC Housing Finance Agency, Raleigh
The Intersection of Affordable Housing and Land Use
This session will explore the growing attention being given to the intersection of land use and affordable housing. This panel discussion will review the proposed state legislation and their potential impacts, and practitioners from around the state will provide examples of existing efforts and challenges around affordable housing in their communities. Also covered will be information on how these practitioners believe land use infrastructure could be used to facilitate affordable housing in urban, suburban and rural areas.
Jason Sullivan, director of planning and community development, Chatham County, Pittsboro; Sasha Vrtunski, AICP, affordable housing officer, City of Asheville, Asheville; Rachel LaCoe, community planning supervisor, New Hanover County, Wilmington; and Chris Whitenhill, AICP, affordable housing planner, Wake County Department of Housing Affordability and Community Development, Raleigh
Community Development Opportunities: Supporting Partnerships, Fostering Innovation
Join a panel of speakers from the OCC, the FDIC and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond to learn about each agency’s current priorities and strategic initiatives. Key topics to be discussed include expanding financial inclusion, addressing the racial equity gap, leveraging partnerships to support greater investment in rural areas and how to address the critical need for affordable workforce housing. Speakers will also provide an overview of the process currently underway to modernize and enhance the Community Reinvestment Act.
Raymond Irizarry Presentation
Erika Bell presentation
Raymond Irizarry, community affairs officer, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Raleigh; Erika Bell, community development regional manager, research, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Charlotte; Victor Galloway, community affairs specialist, Atlanta region, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Atlanta, GA
Leveraging Agency Home Buyer Products with Municipalities
In this session, attendees will walk away with new information on how local governments are responding to current housing challenges of rising costs and housing stock shortages by building new partnerships and offering special financing options. Learn how three cities have made purchasing a home a reality for more buyers in their communities by leveraging products from the NC Housing Finance Agency with their own down payment assistance.
Erika Brandt Presentation
Brandee Prosser-Dotson Presentation
Tanita Wallace Presentation
Erika Brandt, housing programs administrator, City of Raleigh, Raleigh; Brandee Prosser-Dotson, vice president of programs, City of Charlotte/Dreamkey Partners, Charlotte; and Tanita Wallace, community development analyst, City of Wilmington, Wilmington
How are ADUs Addressing the Affordable Housing Shortage?
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are an increasingly powerful strategy for addressing the affordable housing crisis. For homeowners, ADUs can increase property values and deliver additional household income. For renters, they can provide a flexible form of affordable housing. This interactive panel will bring together housing practitioners from across the state to discuss impacts, challenges and lessons learned from permitting, developing and financing ADUs. Topics covered include best practices in developing ADUs, creative financing options, tools to ensure affordability and the impacts of recent local ordinances designed to streamline and enable ADU development.
Chris Younger Presentation
Sherry Taylor Presentation
Suzanne Rogers Presentation
Lindsay Rosenfeld, policy and research analyst, NC Housing Finance Agency, Raleigh; Sherry Taylor, executive director, Durham Community Land Trustees, Durham; Suzanne E. Rogers, community development and housing planner, City of Wilmington, Wilmington; and Chris Younger, strategic partnerships, governments, land acquisition and development, JRN Development, Charlotte
3:15–3:30 p.m. | Break
3:30–4:45 p.m. | Breakout Sessions
Housing Credits 101
Want to learn more about the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)? Curious about the current state of the program and what lies ahead? Take a crash course in LIHTC during this session to learn more about the process, the players and the impact of this critically important affordable housing program.
Rebecca Darling and Chris Key, partners, Novogradac & Company, LLP, Atlanta, GA
Creative Financing Approaches for Affordable Multifamily Housing
During a period of rising costs and interest rates, financing partnerships take on a new level of importance. In this session, our panelists will discuss an array of creative responses and innovative structures they have offered to help facilitate project development.
Allison King, partner, Tiber Hudson, LLC, Charleston, SC; Rasheca Barrow, vice president and community development investment director, Fifth Third Bank, Charlotte; David Kautter, director of community lending and investment, Wells Fargo Corporate and Investment Banking, Charlotte; and David Bennett, president, Centrant Community Capital, Raleigh
Ready to Rent: Opening Doors to Housing Through Education
Come explore the nationally recognized tenant readiness and eviction prevention certification program that is helping renters overcome barriers to housing while providing landlords with educated tenants. Ready to Rent has empowered more than 40,000 renters with the knowledge of their rights and responsibilities as a tenant. This innovative approach was created with the assistance of landlords and housing providers and is used by organizations throughout the United States and Canada. In this interactive session, participants will learn about Ready to Rent and engage in hands-on experience with the curriculum.
Raina Evans, owner and founder, Ready to Rent LLC, Beaverton, OR
Disaster Recovery and Resiliency
This session will review recent disaster recovery efforts across the state. Discussion will include lessons learned and recommendations for bolstering the resiliency of our state and the local systems in anticipation of future disasters.
Tracey Colores, community development director, and Amanda Martin, chief resilience officer, NCORR, Raleigh
The Challenge of Affordable Housing for Local Leaders
This session will be a roundtable of North Carolina mayors discussing the tools they are using to meet their local housing needs and the financial, technical, and community challenges that they face in deploying those tools.
Miles Atkins, mayor, City of Mooresville, Morrisville; Pam Hemminger, mayor, City of Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill; Mitch Colvin, mayor, City of Fayetteville, Fayetteville; and Marikay Abuzuaiter, city council at large, City of Greensboro, Greensboro
5:00–6:15 p.m. | Networking Reception
Day 2 | October 24, 2023
7:30 a.m. | Registration Opens
8:00–9:30 a.m. | NC Housing Coalition Breakfast
At the NC Housing Coalition’s Annual Breakfast, the Coalition will recognize outstanding housing advocates from the past year, preview one of its upcoming policy initiatives and host an interactive feedback session.
Samuel Gunter, executive director, NC Housing Coalition, Durham
9:30–9:45 a.m. | Break
9:45–11:00 a.m. | Breakout Sessions
LIHTC Equity Panel: Headwinds? Tailwinds? Either Way, it is Windy!
Shifting market confidence, the prospect of regulatory reform and the potential for an economic downturn are combining to create a challenging environment for affordable housing development. Are we facing a prolonged period of uncertainty, or a “new normal” that offers opportunities in return for creative responses? Join our panel of tax credit investors to hear their take on what lies ahead for our industry.
Liz Ward, principal, Give Impact, Charlotte; Greg Mayo, vice president, acquisitions and risk management, CAHEC, Raleigh; Darren Swanson, managing director, acquisitions, Redstone Equity Partners, Charlotte; and Josh Reed, executive vice president, LIHTC acquisitions, Merchants Capital, Carmel, IN
Hot Topics in Housing Credit Compliance
In this session, staff from the NC Housing Finance Agency will discuss some of the hot topics and important reminders relevant to housing credit compliance. This session will also feature a look at the HOTMA implementation, the new NSPIRE inspection protocol and the new Management Company Report Card.
Steven James, senior compliance monitor, NC Housing Finance Agency, Raleigh
Updates in Housing Counseling
During this annual gathering for the NC Housing Coalition’s HUD Intermediary Network of Housing Counselors, attendees will get information about the new personalized Homekeeper Client Management System in development. Speakers will share successes from a recent training collaboration with South State Bank and how it highlights the importance of being familiar with lending practices. This session will also discuss key updates on the HUD Intermediary Network and will provide opportunities to ask questions and share feedback on strengthening housing counseling statewide.
Chris Cazzolla, Salesforce technology and integration consultant, CazualCloud, LLC, St. Augustine, FL; Stacie Darden, housing programs director, NC Housing Coalition, Durham; and Louise Mack, president and CEO, Prosperity Unlimited, Inc., Kannapolis
The Latest in Fair Housing
This session will go over the latest updates in the world of Fair Housing and key elements for practitioners, policy makers and advocates to consider as part of their work.
Lauren Brasil and Bill Rowe Presentation
Lauren Brasil, co-director and managing attorney, Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina, Raleigh; and Bill Rowe, senior consultant, North Carolina Justice Center, Raleigh
Models for Preserving Affordability: Community Land Trusts and Resale Restrictions
Join professionals from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, the Asheville-Buncombe Community Land Trust and the Community Home Trust to learn about several models of community land trusts and resale restrictions. These models of affordable housing policy provide a method to both increase the available affordable housing stock and preserve long-term affordability. Panelists will discuss policy, planning and implementation of these models across North Carolina at local and state levels.
Kimberly Sanchez, executive director, Community Home Trust, Chapel Hill; Jeanne Milliken Bonds, professor, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill; and Anna Zuevskaya, executive director, Asheville-Buncombe Community Land Trust
11:00–11:15 a.m. | Break
11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Industry Update
The 2023 Industry Update will discuss national housing policy and the political landscape, covering both what has occurred over the last year and what is anticipated in the coming year.
Michael Walden Presentation
Stephanie Watkins-Cruz Presentation
Michael Walden, professor emeritus, North Carolina State University, Raleigh; Stockton Williams, executive director, National Council of State Housing Agencies, Washington, D.C.; and Stephanie Watkins-Cruz, director of Housing Policy, NC Housing Coalition, Carrboro, Durham