Tuesday, September 16, 2008
9 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Housing Finance: Part I
Presenters:
Rob Dearduff Special Programs Administrator
Florida Housing Finance Corporation
Louis Freeman Business and Relationship Development Analyst
Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta
Nicole Gibson Homeownership Programs Administrator
Florida Housing Finance Corporation
Derek Helms Multifamily Loans Administrator
Florida Housing Finance Corporation
Gail Stafford Interim Program Administrator
Florida Department of Community Affairs
Do you need a refresher course on Florida's key affordable housing finance programs? Would you benefit from a comprehensive overview of Florida’s financial resources? The deputies and department heads from our most important programs, administered by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta and the Florida Department of Community Affairs will present an overview of housing finance programs in Florida. Learn what financial resources are available, and how you can access programs including SAIL, HOME Homeownership, HOME Rental, HAP, PLP, HOP, Housing Credits (4% and 9%), Multifamily and Single-Family Bonds, Small Cities CDBG, and others.
The Nuts and Bolts of Self-Help Housing
Presenters:
Jesse Ornelas Assistant to the Director
Florida Home Partnership, Inc
Earl Pfeiffer Executive Director
Florida Home Partnership, Inc
David Snyder Finance Manager
Florida Home Partnership, Inc.
The USDA self help housing program is a national model that built nearly 1400 single family homes across the America last year by capitalizing on the “sweat-equity” labor of program participants. The program aligns income eligible buyers with the necessary technical assistance to build their own homes at cost, yielding a substantial amount of measurable sweat equity for the clients. The USDA program provides mortgage dollars and technical assistance funding from the federal government, the program is adoptable by local government agencies and not-for-profit housing providers. Florida Home Partnership, the largest provider of the USDA self help housing program in the Eastern United States will provide an overview of how the program works, the process of leading unskilled program participants through the construction process, and the financial aspects of the program.
Community Land Trusts
Presenters:
Lucy Carr AVP, Community Reinvestment Officer
National City Bank
Stan Fitterman Technical Assistance Director
Florida Housing Coalition Inc.
Gladys Schneider Technical Assistance Director
Florida Housing Coalition Inc.
Will the community land trust model be successful in your community? Learn where land trusts are most successful in Florida and why. Find out how Florida’s fledgling community land trusts are dealing with start up, marketing, and finding financing. A community land trust can assist low-income families with home purchasing in expensive and often service driven residential areas. Topics will include the mechanics of a community land trust including the ground lease, evaluating the appropriateness of a land trust in your housing market, types and forms of land trust organizations and a comparison of the land trust vehicle with shared appreciation.
Fair Housing
Presenter:
David Baade Executive Director
Fair Housing Continuum, Inc.
Handout 1- FHC Brochure
Handout 2 – HUD-Fair Housing
Understanding Accessibility and Fair Housing laws is an important component of being an effective housing advocate. Accessible housing allows persons with disabilities to live independently and the elderly to “age in place” reducing costs associated with institutional care. This training will address how to avoid costly housing discrimination complaints with fair housing knowledge. It will also highlight the connection between affordable housing and fair housing.
What, When, Why Green
Presenters:
Jennifer Languell President
Trifecta Construction Solutions
PowerPoint Presentation PDF
Ann Stanton Energy Analyst Building Codes and Standards
Florida Department of Community Affairs
For those who are green when it comes to "Green" building, this workshop is for you. It is designed for non-profit and for profit developers, and city and county staff to provide insight into Green basics: What is Green, When can it be constructed affordably and Why is Green building needed? Panelists will provide insight as to the basic Green terminology, Green requirements, the importance/solutions of Green affordable housing. In addition, specific information will be provided regarding the new code changes affecting Green building.
The Mortgage Money Market
Presenters:
Ana Cruz-Taura Regional Community Development Director
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
How did we get here? What's changed? What's new? What's next?
A presentation of the evolution of the mortgage money markets; the issues and practices that led to the highest homeownership levels in U.S. history and the recent weakening of those same markets. How does this change the structure of the market; how does this affect credit underwriting and products; what will be the affect for new first-time-homeowners?
Community Organizing
Presenters:
Alyce Gowdy Wright Campaign Director
South Florida Jobs with Justice
Sushma Sheth Director of Programs
Miami Workers Center
Changing neighborhoods for the better, preserving neighborhoods under threat of displacement, citizen participation in local planning, are three examples where community organizing is pivotal. Community organizing is the keystone for influencing elected officials when the constituents’ at issue are not financially well-healed. Learn from experts in citizen participation and experienced community organizers in Florida what it takes to organize community groups and what you need to know about the government process to make positive change.
10:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Housing Finance: Part II
Presenters:
Candace Allbaugh Housing Credits Administrator
Florida Housing Finance Corporation
Debbie Blinderman Deputy Development Officer Multifamily Development Program
Florida Housing Finance Corporation
T.D. Wayne Conner Deputy Development Officer
Florida Housing Finance Corporation
Derek Helms Multifamily Loans Administrator
Florida Housing Finance Corporation
Housing & Hurricanes
Presenters:
Sandy Lanier
Florida Department of Emergency Management
Candace Iskowitz Communications Specialist & Editor
Institute for Business & Home Safety
Florida knows too well the enormous costs of hurricanes, from total loss of housing to maintenance-related property losses, such as those from water damage. Do not be discouraged - there are organizations in the State of Florida who envision safe, strong and affordable homes to keep its citizens and their property safe from natural disasters. Affordable housing advocates will have an opportunity for a candid exchange of views and ideas with a representative from The Institute for Business and Home Safety. Additionally, a representative from the Florida Catastrophic Planning project (FLCP) will provide an overview of FLCP, a joint effort between key federal, state, local, and non-governmental organizations that are critical in an effective unified response and recovery. One elemental outcome of this project is for the state of Florida to have in place its own Disaster Housing Strategy that will help unify all state and federal agency resources to ensure efficient and timely short-term and long-term housing rebuild efforts.
Regulatory Reform
Presenters:
Evelyn Rusciollelli Technical Advisor
Florida Housing Coalition Inc.
Gladys Schneider Technical Assistance Director
Florida Housing Coalition Inc.
The Florida Legislature wants desperately to see regulatory reform at the local, regional, and state level to encourage the development of affordable housing. Some go so far as to claim that but for government regulation, we wouldn’t have an affordable housing crisis. In this session, we will address best practices for all of the most important items for local government to consider- with particular attention to those that are statutorily required to be considered by the new SHIP Advisory Committees, including expedited permitting, waivers or reductions in impact fees, density bonuses, flexible development and design standards, and accessory dwelling units.
Rental Housing – A Look Behind the Numbers
Presenters:
Bob Ansley President
Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation
Stan Fitterman Technical Assistance Director
Florida Housing Coalition Inc.
Reggie Fenn Senior Vice President
Bank of America
This session will begin with an examination of how a l rental deal using tax credits is developed. We will then use the basic multifamily rental pro forma to illustrate and illuminate the effects various factors have on the viability of an affordable rental development. Issues to be discussed include how changes in the income of the target market affect borrowing capacity, whether public funds should be deferred or direct payment loans, how insurance and utility costs affect financial feasibility, and how rehab can be funded on mature properties. We will also discuss differing views on when an affordable rental community should be sold.
Green design
Presenters:
Michael M. Houston Architect
Sharon Lee Executive Director
Low Income Housing Institute
Nationally recognized architects and developers of affordable housing will talk about Green Design. We begin with a discussion of how to design Green housing in general, led by architect and Green Building Coalition President, Michael Houston. Followed by a case study, using the award-winning Denny Park Apartments as a model for lessons learned (challenges, problems, benefits, and surprises) led by Sharon Lee, Executive Director of the Seattle-based Low Income Housing Institute. Sharon will also highlight features of four new Green rental and homeownership projects she currently has under construction.
Foreclosure Rescue Scams
Presenters:
Andrew Spark Assistant Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General of Florida
Jeffrey Hearne Attorney
Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc.
William Sanchez Vice President
Tampa Bay CDC
For some low income people, falling prey to predatory lending was just the first installment in their borrowing crisis. Some are now falling prey to foreclosure rescue scams, as agencies holding out the promise to save people's homes are taking their homes away. Real estate swindlers masquerading as “counselors” are using a variety of tactics to profit from the misfortune of others. Learn how to recognize foreclosure rescue scams and learn what can be done to protect those who are preyed upon.
Responsible Partnerships between forprofits and nonprofits
Presenters:
Dan Horvath President
Community Enterprise Investments
Jackie Tufts Executive Director
New Visions CDC
The buzz is “Partnerships”. But not all partnerships are in the best interest of the nonprofit partner. This session is for non-profits and for-profits who want to explore the “how-to’s” of creating successful partnerships to develop affordable housing. Panel members will provide examples of models that have really worked. Participants will walk away with specific tips and strategies on how to structure partnerships that are mutually beneficial for both the for- profit and non-profit and can be replicated in other communities.
2 – 3:15 p.m.
Preservation of Expiring- Use Housing Credit Projects
Presenters:
Dan Mendelson President
DTM and Associates
Preserving existing affordable housing is key to preventing homelessness, it takes less housing subsidy than new construction, and has less impact on the environment. This session will examine existing tax credit financed communities that have reached or are reaching the end of their affordability period. When do you start working on the next phase of these developments? What are the potential strategies for keeping this valuable stock in your community? How do you acquire them? These and other issues will be discussed in this workshop for developers, lenders, government agencies, lawyers, and housing advocates.
The Benefits and Challenges of Brownfield Development for Affordable Housing
Presenters:
Laurel Lockett Attorney
Carlton Fields Attorneys at Law
B. Suzi Ruhl Senior Attorney and Director, Public Health and Law Center
Environmental Law Institute
Mary E. Yeargan Brownfields Coordinator
Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County
Handout 1- FBA Membership Brochure
Handout 2 – State Brochure
Brownfields are land with actual or perceived contamination. Affordable housing has become one of the priorities for Florida’s Brownfields Program. Specific incentives for affordable housing include liability protection for non-profits, government, and lenders, increased voluntary cleanup tax credits and loan note guarantees above those for regular brownfield projects, and sales tax refunds for affordable housing. Many local governments also have EPA assessment and cleanup funds available through grants and loans for brownfield projects. Often these incentives can make a marginal project a great opportunity. Learn about the opportunities and challenges with brownfield development for affordable housing.
Housing the Homeless & Extremely Low Income
Presenters:
Freyja Sutherland Harris Program Director
Florida Coalition for the Homeless
Shannon Nazworth Executive Director
Ability Housing of Northeast Floridan
Rayme Knuckles CEO
Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County, Inc.
Jack Humburg Director of Housing Development & ADA Services
Boley Centers, Inc.
Ending homelessness in Florida continues to be focused on “housing first”. Permanent, supportive housing is making a difference in Florida by providing not only shelter but the services needed to help individuals and families obtain permanent housing. This occurs in spite of local pressures to limit services, budget cuts and the ongoing shortage of operating funds. The legal profession, along with supportive housing providers, are joining forces to develop best practice models that help end homelessness and inspire advocates and providers to meet this challenging need. This session features advocates and providers who will share their successes in meeting the housing needs of Floridians with extremely low incomes.
Mobile Home Park Closures
Presenters:
Cheryl Sessions In-House Counsel, Director of Policy
ROC USA
Mitchell Chester Attorney, Founding Member
Mitchell A. Chester, PA
As the private and public sector profit from redevelopment and the property tax revenue generated from that redevelopment, we find thousands of Florida’s most vulnerable citizens displaced and without adequate housing or shelter of any kind. This session will explore what can be done to put a stop to the creation of homelessness, including a discussion of moratoriums on mobile home park closures and tools for addressing the economic pressure from mobile home park redevelopment. ROC USA, a non-profit social enterprise to make resident-ownership a reality in every US state and region was launched in May, 2008 to provide a Network of local Certified Technical Assistance Providers and a national loan program called ROC USA Capital. Paul Bradley, the president of ROC USA will explain how resident ownership of mobile home parks can become a reality for even very low income communities.
Successful Green Building and Construction
Presenters:
Tom de Yampert Manager - Housing & Community Development
City of St. Petersburg
Pierce Jones Professor/Director
Program for Resource Efficient Communities
PowerPoint Presentation PDF
Novel ideas for affordable green construction are on the rise. How is a housing funder or developer supposed to know which make sense and which do not? This workshop will explore changes in construction practices and materials to promote Green affordable housing. By examining some of the choices made by several Florida affordable housing builders to construct energy and resource efficient multi-family and single family homes, we will help the nonprofit developer and housing administrator sort through the confusion around what it means to build Green. In addition to examples of what is working well, this workshop brings the voice of experience to teach you how to analyze new ideas and avoid costly pitfalls.
Mitigating the Losses: Working with the Servicer
Presenters:
Michael Chaney Technical Advisor
Florida Housing Coalition Inc
Darrel Davis Loss Mitigation Consultant
Titanium Solutions
Florida’s mortgage delinquency rate is number two in the nation. Foreclosures are on the increase and the demand for counseling services has reached an all time high. The mortgage delinquency counselor must strategically assess the options available to the consumer and develop a plan which assists the consumer in preparing for the servicer.
Learn the protocol for providing foreclosure crisis counseling. This class takes a hard look at how to determine whether the borrower’s delinquency is curable or incurable. We will explore what loss mitigation options are available to the homeowner, how to navigate the lender’s shop effectively and how to properly document the loss mitigation package for the servicer to achieve the desired outcome. The following options will be discussed: the forbearance agreement, repayment plan, claim advance, loan modification, assumption, deed-in-lieu and pre-foreclosure sale. This workshop is designed for housing counselors, community organizers, loan originators, City and County SHIP administrators and others.
Designing a New Environment for Nonprofit Developers
Presenters:
Mark Hendrickson President
Hendrickson Company
Sharon Lee Executive Director
Low Income Housing Institute
What does it take to have an environment that fosters strong, viable nonprofit developers? What policies at the state and local level encourage the sustainability and growth of nonprofits? This session is based on work the Florida Housing Coalition’s board of director’s is undertaking to increase the role nonprofit developer’s play in the provision of affordable housing in the state. We will review the funding policies for states that have a reputation for having strong nonprofits, as well as look at the responsibility nonprofit developer’s have for improving their own capacity.
3:45 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Inclusionary Zoning and Linkage Fees
Presenters:
Edward Koconis Director of Planning and Development Services
Islamorada Village of Islands
James C. Nicholas Associate Director
University of Florida
Local government can facilitate the development of affordable and mixed-income housing by using inclusionary housing ordinances and linkage fees. Inclusionary housing policies ensure that a portion of the market rate development is affordable and linkage fees assess a fee on employment generating development to contribute to the production of housing needed by the workforce. Come learn from a case study of Islamorada about how to adopt and implement an inclusionary and linkage fee ordinance from the experts who have done it.
How to Prepare For the 2009 Legislative Session
Presenters:
Jaimie Ross Affordable Housing Director
1000 Friends of Florida
Mark Hendrickson President
Hendrickson Company
Desinda Wood-Carper Senior Legislative Advocate
Florida League of Cities, Inc.
Restoring our dedicated revenue source is of singular importance for affordable housing in Florida. Housing advocates have all heard about the cap on the Sadowski Act Trust Funds—but what does that really mean? This session will explain the cap: what it is, why we have it, what effect it has, and what needs to be done about it. This session will give you an in-depth understanding of the mechanics and politics of Florida’s State and Local Housing Trust Funds and strategies for what you can do to improve funding for affordable housing in Florida.
Financing the Green in Affordable Housing
Presenters:
Bill Eberle DSM Program Development and Administration
Progress Energy
Dan J. Haywood Program Manager
Florida Power & Light
Madeline Fraser Cook Program Director, Green Development Center
LISC-NEF
Jeff Lesk Partner and Tax Credit Syndication Practice Group Leader
Nixon Peabody LLP
We know there are substantial health benefits for the residents and for the planet, as well as long-term cost savings in utilities from building Green. But when you are trying to make the numbers work to deliver an affordable product, how do you accommodate the additional expense that comes with building Green- and is it always more expensive? The panelists will discuss financial resources for funding Green affordable housing ranging from construction to homebuyer assistance to energy savings programs. Funding opportunities related to local, state, and federal programs (tax-credit, rebates etc.) will be addressed.
Affordable Housing Opportunities Arising from Foreclosure
Presenters:
George Romagnoli Community Development Manager
Pasco County
Gladys Schneider Senior Technical Assistance Director
Florida Housing Coalition
Most foreclosures in Florida are investor properties and not within the affordable range. But unfortunately, there are many low income homeowners who didn’t have the benefit of homebuyer assistance and counseling and have been unable to avoid foreclosure. Nonprofits have opportunities to obtain properties from lenders holding large inventories of foreclosed properties or properties in neighborhoods at risk of depreciation from abandonment. Understanding the mortgage foreclosure legal process, the advantages and pitfalls of tax deeds, short sales, and lenders’ loss mitigation policies, provides affordable housing opportunities.
Marketing, Business, and Fundraising Skills for Nonprofits
Presenters:
Beth Leytham President
Leytham Group
Colleen Chappell President/CEO
Roberts Communication
Handout 1- Integrated Marketing and Communications
Handout 3 – Understand the Media
Nonprofits often find themselves in need of advice, insight and practical experience in order to successfully achieve their goals. The discussion will focus on integrating marketing and communications with public and media affairs strategies to bring together community groups, business leaders, elected officials and the press. Whether it is working behind the scenes with decision makers or mounting a full campaign to rally support, they’ll help you move your agenda forward.
5:15 – 6:45 p.m.
Community Land Trust Networking Caucus
Community Land Trusts in Florida are on the rise. The Florida Housing Coalition and the Florida Community Land Trust Institute are working with emerging community land trusts throughout the state. This CLT Networking Caucus is a time for open discussion for those who have recently started or are currently operating a community land trust in Florida. Join us and share ideas, concerns and experiences with your peers on CLT capacity building, homebuyer counseling, assessment, internal operations, ground lease formulas, property taxes, finance issues, and whatever else is on your mind. We will learn from our commonalities and our differences.