The 2018
Housing California Conference kicks off this
Wednesday, March 7th
in Sacramento.
The
California Housing Partnership is
proud that our team of experts will be moderating and speaking in 14
workshops and institutes this year on a variety of topics including affordable housing finance and policy.
We hope you will visit our sponsorship booth as well as one or more of our hosted institutes and workshops listed below.
Pre-Conference Institutes: Wednesday, March 7
12:00 - 5:00 PM
I-1. Everything You Wanted to Know about Bonds, but Were Afraid to Ask
Beginner; Room #302-303
Tax-exempt bond financing is a tool commonly used by affordable-home developers. In this Institute, you will learn through lecture and group exercises the program's basic and technical requirements, who's involved and why, the process of obtaining a bond allocation, credit enhancements and the cost of issuance.
Please bring a calculator.
Moderator
:
Benjamin M. Barker, California Municipal Finance Authority
Panelists:
J
ulia Bennett, California Housing Partnership
; Paul J. Thimmig, Quint & Thimmig LLP
I-3 A Deep Dive into the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program
Beginner; Room #319
This Institute will provide comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC). The expert panelists will provide a detailed overview of the State cap-and-trade program, dive into the specifics of AHSC, outline maximum competitiveness, discuss innovation and emphasize the importance of public/private partnerships across sectors for success and impact across communities.
Panelists: Nicole Norori, California Housing Partnership; Sally Greenspan, Enterprise Community Partners;
David Dologite, California Housing Partnership
I-4 Tax Credits 101
Beginner; Room #316
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit remains the most important, yet one of the most complex, financing tools for the creation and preservation of affordable developments in California. This Institute combines presentations and group exercises to introduce the nuts and bolts of the tax credit program.
Please bring a calculator.
Moderator
:
Laura Kobler, California Housing Partnership
Panelists: Gina Ferguson
, California Tax Credit Allocation Committee;
Sherin Bennett, California Housing Partnership;
Zorica Stancevic, California Housing Partnership
Workshops - Session I: Thursday, March 8
1:45 - 3:15 PM
1-2. The ROI of Sustainability: Preserving Affordable Housing through Clean Energy Investments
INNOVATE - Housing Development
Intermediate, Advanced; Room #302-303
Investing in clean energy improvements like energy efficiency and solar can have long term energy bill savings benefits for residents of multifamily affordable housing properties. But are these investments actually paying off in the long term, for both residents and owners? How are developers keeping track of their ROI? This panel will explore tactics and strategies for ensuring that you can maximize the benefits of investing in clean energy improvements-in both new construction and rehab scenarios-to preserve the long-term affordability of multifamily properties.
Moderator:
Colin Tateishi, California Housing Partnership
Panelists: Shamir Chauhan, GRID Alternatives; Tabitha Harrison, Association for Energy Affordability
1-3. Finding Common Ground: Connecting Anti-Displacement and Fair Housing
TRANSFORM - Policy and Advocacy
Beginner; Room #104
Both the anti-displacement and fair housing movements are grounded in choice and opportunity. Communities of color have faced barriers to accessing neighborhoods most supportive of economic mobility. For decades, low-income households also face intense displacement pressure due to gentrification, and struggle to remain in place just as more resources come into a community. We will explore the intersection of anti-displacement and fair housing from grassroots, legal, research, and practitioner perspectives, and discuss how we can strengthen both movements through improved joint advocacy.
Moderator: Sarah Brundage, Enterprise Community Partners
Panelists: Chancela Al-Mansour, Housing Rights Center, Navneet Grewal, Western Center on Law & Poverty; Elizabeth Kneebone, Terner Center for Housing Innovation;
Dan Rinzler, California Housing Partnership; Nubyaan Scott, Project Sentinel
1-9. New Tools to Preserve At-Risk Housing
TRANSFORM - Policy and Advocacy
Beginner, Intermediate, Advances; Room #204
As housing developers and advocates struggle to build new affordable homes, it is important to remember that preserving existing homes at risk of being lost due to expiring subsidy and rent restrictions costs less and has the added benefit of preventing displacement. This workshop will explore how the recently enacted Preservation Notice Law expansion (AB 1521) will give more power to residents of affordable homes and increase the likelihood of these homes being purchased by mission-driven organizations that can keep them affordable.
Moderator:
Danielle Mazzella, California Housing Partnership
Panelists: Anya Lawler, Western Center on Law & Poverty; Sasha Wisotsky, California Department of Housing and Community Development; Sarah Steinheimer, Legal Services of Northern California; Franklin Campos, Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department
1-10. The Latest Information on Tax Credit Equity
INVEST - Housing Finance
Through an entertaining presentation that may include many forms of art, panelists will discuss the very dry topic of the current state of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). Topics may include the current state of tax credit investments in affordable housing. Pricing, terms, underwriting, and locations will be some of the probable subjects. Fights may break out, deals may be made, and you may find a partner for life (or 15 years).
Moderator: Rich Gross, Enterprise Community Partners
Panelists: Kevin Knudtson, Community Economics, Inc.;
Richard Mandel, California Housing Partnership
1-13. Outlook for Rental Housing Funding and Policy under a New Tax Code
TRANSFORM - Policy and Advocacy
Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced; Room #304
DC-based housing experts will lead a discussion on the outlook for affordable rental housing funding and policy under a new tax code with a focus on the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. We will also discuss the Administration's affordable housing positions, including possible "infrastructure" legislation that could include key affordable housing provisions, and the prospect for Congressional approval. Attendees have a chance to pose their own questions and discuss advocacy priorities & opportunities for California.
Moderator: Matt Schwartz, California Housing Partnership
Panelists: Peter Lawrence, Novogradac & Co.; Emily Cadik, Enterprise Community Partners; Barbara Sard, Center on Budget Policy and Priorities
Workshops - Session II: Thursday, March 8
2-9. No Place Like Home
INNOVATE - Housing Development
Intermediate; Room #204
In July 2016, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation enacting the No Place Like Home (NPLH) program to dedicate $2 billion in bond proceeds to build permanent supportive housing for persons who are in need of mental health services and are experiencing homelessness, chronic homelessness, or who are at risk of chronic homelessness. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is administering the program and HCD staff will provide critical information regarding guidelines and implementation to help attendees understand this new program and how their supportive housing developments may qualify and benefit.
Moderator: Diep Do, California Housing Partnership
Panelists: HCD staff: Monique Pierre, Christina DiFrancesco, Stephanie Tran-Houangvilay
Workshops - Session III: Friday, March 9
9:00 - 10:30 AM
3-7. Mixed-Use Development: Design, Financing and Leasing Strategies for Success
INNOVATE - Housing Development
Intermediate; Room #304
Build it and they will come? Not with mixed-use! Come learn about the challenges to and strategies for developing mixed-use developments from experts in design, financing, marketing and leasing.
Moderator: David Dologite, California Housing Partnership
Panelists: Caroline Souza, David Baker Architects; Carolyn Johnson, East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation
3-8. Latest Trends in Affordable Multifamily Lending: Exploring Options
INVEST - Housing Finance
Intermediate; Room #204
Despite continuing unpredictability in the broader economic and political environment, the affordable multifamily lending arena remains robust. A panel of lenders active in multifamily financing will discuss the environmental changes and the challenges and opportunities they present. Lenders will discuss the range of products and structures that are currently available. The discussion will include options for addressing the potential of rising interest rates. In addition, audience members will be encouraged to participate in a facilitated Q&A with panelists on a range of topic areas, including current construction lending issues, unsubordinated local use restrictions, Section 8 leveraging, mixed-income structuring, and state requirements.
Moderator: Richard Mandel, California Housing Partnership
Panelists: Ari Beliak, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch; Cecile Chalifour, Chase; Lisa Gutierrez, U.S. Bank; Erich Leimbach, Wells Fargo; Jessica MacKenzie, Union Bank; Merle Malakoff, City Community Capital; Wade Norris, Norris George & Ostrow PLLC
3-10. New Kid on the Block: 9% / 4% Hybrids (A Primer)
INVEST - Housing Finance
Intermediate; Room #103
New on the financing scene in California is the 9%/4% tax credit hybrid structure. Though complicated, we welcome this as a creative way to raise tax credit equity for projects in need of funding. The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) is encouraging its use as a way to promote the development of large projects. Incentives include access to additional credits and tiebreaker advantages in the 9% competition. This workshop will function as a "primer" on the hybrid structure. Panelists will discuss financial structuring specifics in conjunction with CTCAC requirements. Case studies will also be shared.
Moderator: Meg McGraw-Scherer, California Housing Partnership
Panelists: Matt Grosz, Red Stone Equity Partners; Elizabeth Kuwada, Eden Housing; Mark Stivers and Anthony Zeto, California Tax Credit Allocation Committee
Workshops - Session IV: Friday, March 9
10:45 AM - 12:15 PM
4-5 Keep the Lights On: Redefining Resilient Homes and Communities
PARTNER - Multi-Sector Solutions
Beginner, Intermediate, Advances; Room #101-102
As Californians rebuild after wildfires and prepare for another summer of extreme heat waves, how we define resilient housing becomes crucial. With the passage of AB 398, a portion of cap-and-trade revenue must be spent on "climate adaptation and resiliency." Hear how multi-sector coalitions are coming together to develop and advocate for a community-based vision of resiliency that is centered not only on surviving disasters but also on energy independence, community revitalization and economic resiliency to empower all Californians and communities to thrive.
Moderator:
Stephanie Wang, California Housing Partnership
Panelists: Shamir Chauhan, GRID Alternatives; Amee Raval, Asian Pacific Environmental Network; Chuck Mills, California ReLeaf; Jordyn Bishop, The Greenlining Institute
Workshops - Session V: Friday, March 9
1:45 PM - 3:15 PM
5-14. Resyndications & Rehousing: New Relevance for Recapitalization
INVEST - Housing Finance
Beginner, Intermediate; Room #302-303
Resyndication can be more than just recapitalization and rehabilitation of housing that is already in the portfolio. Recruiting new gap financing can bring with it an exciting opportunity to house our most at-risk populations.
Moderator:
Laura Kobler, California Housing Partnership
Panelists: Kevin Leichner, Eden Housing; Consuelo Hernandez, Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing; Kyle B. Arndt, Bocarsly Emden Cowan Esmail & Arndt LLP
We hope to see you there!
