Day 1 | October 22, 2026
7:30 am | Registration Opens | Continental Breakfast
9:00–10:15 am | 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
Alexander Hermann, senior research associate, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Cambridge
10:15 am–11:00 am | Housing North Carolina Awards Session
Join us for an inspiring and insightful conversation with the winners of the 2026 Housing NC Awards. This dynamic panel will feature representatives from four award-winning properties. Panelists will share the stories behind their developments, including key challenges they overcame, partnerships that made success possible and the lessons learned along the way. Attendees will gain firsthand insight into what sets these project apart during a moderated Q and A session, offering participants the opportunity to engage directly with awardees and explore how these models of success can inform and inspire future housing efforts across North Carolina.
Madison Fisler Lewis (moderator), manager of public relations, marketing and communications, NC Housing Finance Agency, Raleigh; Scott Farmer, executive director, NC Housing Finance Agency, Raleigh
11:00–11:15 am | Break
11:15 am–12:30 pm | Breakout Sessions
Hot Topics in Housing Credit Compliance
Join us for a focused review of current compliance requirements affecting developments monitored by the NC Housing Finance Agency. Presenters will provide detailed updates on the HOME program, recent changes to Utility Allowance calculations and revisions to the Tenant Selection Plan policy. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of Agency expectations, emerging compliance trends and practical strategies for maintaining program compliance.
Randa McCauley, team lead, rental asset management and compliance, NC Housing Finance Agency, Raleigh
Closing Table Confessions: What’s Slowing Us Down?
Attorneys representing lenders, developers and equity investors pull back the curtain on the real-world friction points delaying debt and equity closings. Expect candid perspectives from all three sides of the table—and maybe a little friendly sparring—as we tackle common issues keeping deals from crossing the finish line.
Rocky Herring, executive vice president, Centrant Community Capital, Raleigh; Iain MacSween, attorney at law, Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, Greensboro; Debbie McKenney, attorney at law, Blanco, Tackabery & Matamoros, P.A., Winston-Salem; Peter Duffley, partner, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP, Raleigh
Permanent Affordability: Community Land Trusts in NC
Land use has become a key issue across North Carolina. Formed in April 2025, the NC Community Land Trust Coalition promotes community land trusts as a lasting affordable housing strategy. In this session, Coalition members will outline effective land use policies, highlight successful land trust models statewide and share resources for establishing a land trust in your community.
Speakers pending
Building for Resilience
North Carolina’s natural disaster history has provided lessons in preparing our communities to be more resilient in unexpected future disasters. Local governments and insurance experts will share preparation that has provided successful and specific implementable changes local residents, businesses and governments can make now to better position themselves for the future.
Michelle Osborne, director, Risk Management Institute, Buies Creek; Zeb Smathers, mayor, Canton
12:30–1:45 pm | Networking Luncheon
Join us for a networking luncheon with your peers.
2:00–3:15 pm | Breakout Sessions
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit 101
Gain a better understanding of the sometimes-complex world of the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC). Participants will learn about the program’s structure, key stakeholders and compliance requirements. Ideal for professionals new to affordable housing or those seeking a refresher, this session offers essential insights into one of the nation’s most impactful affordable housing tools.
Austin Bramble, senior manager, Cohn Reznick, Charlotte; Alana Paris, associate, Klein Hornig LLP, Boston, MA
From Roadblocks to Results: Breaking Barriers to Supportive Housing Development
Are you a local government entity or non-profit organization who wants to develop supportive housing in your community but don’t know where to start? Join us for this informative session for an overview of the Supportive Housing Development Program (SHDP) followed by a panel discussion about some of the common obstacles partners routinely experience and how to overcome them. NC Housing Finance Agency’s SHDP-Veterans and SH-Safe programs will be featured.
Nancy Bloebaum, manager of supportive housing development programs, Maureen Greidanus, supportive housing development specialist and Keisha Purvis, supportive housing development specialist, NC Housing Finance Agency, Raleigh; Shanna Reece, executive director, The Servant Center, Greensboro; Cornelis Verkerk, director of real estate development, CASA, Raleigh
Annual Developer’s Workshop
This intensive workshop outlines proposed changes to the 2027 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) and explains how applications for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits will be evaluated in 2027. Learn what you need to know to apply next year.
Sandy Harris, director of rental programs and Tara Hall, manager of rental development, NC Housing Finance Agency, Raleigh
3:15–3:30 pm | Break
3:30–4:45 pm | Breakout Sessions
Leveraging the Community Reinvestment Act
This session—designed for bankers, affordable housing developers and community-based organizations—will review the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and highlight housing data in the region. Topics covered include an overview of the CRA, understanding the impact of bank performance context, bank community development activities that qualify for CRA consideration and strategies to develop successful partnerships between banks and affordable housing stakeholders.
Erika Bell, community development regional manager—research, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Charlotte; Victor Galloway, community affairs specialist, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Raleigh
Updates in Housing Counseling
During this annual gathering for the NC Housing Coalition’s HUD Intermediary Network of Housing Counselors, speakers will discuss federal funding concerns, program updates and the future outlook for housing counseling. We will also share key updates on the HUD Intermediary Network. Throughout the session, attendees will have opportunities to ask questions and share feedback on how we can continue to strengthen housing counseling across the state.
Stacie Darden, deputy director, NC Housing Coalition, Durham
From Bottleneck to Value Add: Rethinking Insurance in Affordable Housing Transactions
Insurance requirements at closing and renewal often create delays, add costs and strain coordination among developers, investors, lenders and insurance consultants. This session brings these groups together to outline practical ways to streamline the process while maintaining adequate coverage. Topics include using waivers and alternatives for hard‑to‑place policies, engaging financing partners earlier and improving communication to avoid last‑minute issues. Attendees will gain actionable examples, collaboration strategies and insight into emerging tools that improve document sharing, transparency and overall closing efficiency.
Jackson Cromer, director of special projects, Scott Insurance, Charlotte; David Robinson, vice president—affordable housing practice lead, Scott Insurance, Greensboro
Property Tax Relief Without Sacrificing Local Budgets
Rising affordability concerns have prompted legislators to consider a statewide property tax levy limit. While supporters argue it would ease burdens on vulnerable homeowners, analysis from the NC Housing Coalition and the NC Budget and Tax Center shows it would offer limited relief while constraining county budgets. This session will examine the impacts of a levy limit and compare it with targeted property tax relief programs that more effectively support homeowners in need without significantly reducing local revenue.
Hudson Vaughan, director of the community justice collaborative, NC Housing Coalition, Durham; Alexandra Forter Sirota, executive director, NC Budget and Tax Center, Durham; Beverly Walton, Orange County homeowner and neighborhood organizer
5:00–6:00 pm | Networking Reception
Day 2 | October 23, 2026
7:30 am | Registration Opens
8:00–9:30 am | NC Housing Coalition Annual Breakfast
Hear from recipients of the 2026 NC Housing Coalition Awards recognizing outstanding housing advocacy across the state and learn more about the Coalition’s 2027–2028 Policy Agenda.
9:45–11:00 am | Breakout Sessions
The Latest in Fair Housing
The landscape of fair housing in the United States continues to undergo significant transformations due to recent federal policy changes. This session will provide an overview of these developments and changes. Experts will discuss how these policy shifts will affect enforcement and program implementation as well as strategies to navigate the rapidly evolving policy environment.
Lauren Brasil, staff attorney, UNC School of Law Clinical Programs, Chapel Hill; Hope Williams, project director, fair housing project, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Durham
Capital Markets Update
What is driving tax credit equity pricing, demand and investor appetite today? This moderated discussion brings together LIHTC equity investors to unpack how the current political climate, regulatory shifts and broader market dynamics are shaping the investment landscape—and what developers and lenders need to know to position their deals for success.
Connor Hughes, executive vice president, Harmony Housing Affordable Development, Raleigh; John Binieris, vice president, acquisitions, Stratford Capital Group, Wakefield, MA; Dana Boole, president and chief executive officer, CAHEC, Raleigh; Susan Thomas, senior vice president, head of community development, Fifth Third Bank, Cincinnati, OH
Celebrating 20,000 Served: The Urgent Repair Program
Join in for a special session highlighting the impact and innovation of North Carolina’s Urgent Repair Program (URP). Three dedicated partner organizations share their on-the-ground experience, lessons learned and creative strategies for addressing critical home health and safety repairs in their communities. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of URP outcomes, the challenges frontline partners face and the transformative difference that repairs make for vulnerable homeowners.
Speakers pending
The Intersection of Health & Housing: Winston-Salem HUD Choice Neighborhoods Initiative
This session highlights the Northeast Winston-Salem Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, a transformative effort to replace aging public housing with mixed-income development while integrating health-related services. Through a partnership among ASPIRE, McCormack Baron, Carolina Complete Health, Centene Corporation and Urban Strategies Inc., the initiative addresses key social drivers of health—including access to care, food and economic stability—demonstrating how coordinated housing and healthcare strategies can strengthen community well-being and resilience.
Sandra Seals, senior vice president/southeast, McCormack Baron Salazar, Miami, FL; Tonya Atkins, director of operations, Urban Strategies Inc., Winston-Salem; Katya Urraco, director of strategic initiatives, ASPIRE, Winston-Salem; Aviva Woog, director of health equity and drivers of health, Centene Corporation, West Orange, NJ; Taylor Zublena, director of health equity, Carolina Complete Health, Raleigh
11:00–11:15 am | Break
11:15 am–12:30 pm | Industry Update
This session will include detailed and updated data from a 2024 statewide housing study along with an overview of key demographic trends of each of the state’s 100 counties. Using 2026 updates and projections for 2031, attendees will understand areas of high growth, higher concentrations of housing affordability and quality issues, household incomes, household ages and much more. Attendees will benefit from a review of a robust inventory of the state’s housing supply, including both rentals and for-sale housing, with a focus on affordable rental housing performance (occupancies, rents, wait lists and voucher use). This information will set the stage for future residential development success in North Carolina.
Patrick Bowen, president, Bowen National Research, Pickerington, OH; Stephanie Watkins-Cruz, director of housing policy, NC Housing Coalition, Durham