Plenary session: the big picture
Economic update: Nicolas P. Retsinas, Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School
Nicolas P. Retsinas is a senior lecturer in real estate at the Harvard Business School where he teaches courses in housing finance and real estate in emerging markets. Retsinas is also director emeritus of Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, a collaborative venture of the Graduate School of Design and the Harvard Kennedy School.
Prior to his Harvard appointment, Retsinas served as assistant secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and as director of the Office of Thrift Supervision. Retsinas also served the State of Rhode Island as the executive director of the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation from 1987 to 1993.
Federal legislative update: Dean Christon, Executive Director, New Hampshire Housing
State legislative update: Ben Frost, Public Affairs, New Hampshire Housing
Keynote speaker: Tom Asacker – "Branding Affordable Housing"
Tom Asacker has been teaching and inspiring organizations and entrepreneurs for more than 20 years. World-class companies including Procter & Gamble, UPS, Hewlett Packard, and G.E. have called on him to shake up their people, fill them with ideas and charge them with inspiration.
Asacker brings a breadth of business development, marketing, management and operational expertise from prior management posts at G.E., as well as from his entrepreneurial experience as cofounder and president of a high-tech medical device company.
He is the author of Opportunity Screams, A Little Less Conversation and A Clear Eye for Branding, groundbreaking books that redefine business for the new, customer-controlled economy.
Big ideas: thinking outside the walls
To spur conference attendees to rethink housing, New Hampshire Housing presented issues facing affordable housing in a different and meaningful way. There were no breakout groups in the afternoon. By sharing the same experience in the afternoon, everyone in the audience had the opportunity to see various housing issues from new angles.
Ideas that were presented:
There’s no place like home
As an agency, we are often asked: "what is affordable housing?" Yet, we are seldom asked: "who needs affordable housing?" Bricks and mortar may be the what, but people are the who. Every person residing in affordable housing – whether it is rental or ownership housing – has a story to tell. Watch and listen as real people living in affordable housing tell their stories through a compelling video.
Introduction:
Maggie Fogarty, Economic Justice Project Coordinator, American Friends Service Committee
Compact design: should we break with tradition?
A thought-provoking forum held in September 2009 led to the creation of a DVD and a series of podcasts that present the pros and cons of creating dense town centers, which have been the foundation of New Hampshire’s communities. The idea made perfect sense two centuries ago; does it still make sense today?
Speaker:
Roger Hawk, President, Hawk Planning Resources, LLC
Organizational capital: Where’s the money coming from?
In today’s economic climate, the potential for investment in affordable housing development is huge; yet, tighter lending and investment guidelines may cause affordable housing nonprofit developers to struggle with securing project financing. In addition to the “credit crunch,” nonprofit housing developers find themselves sandwiched between an increased demand for affordable housing services and a decreased and financially strapped donor base. In the face of today’s economic challenges, learn how nonprofits can find capital necessary for survival.
Speaker:
Robert Tourigny, Executive Director, NeighborWorks Greater Manchester
Rethink housing: is it an investment or a home?
Yes, the housing market crashed two years ago and it is still a long road to recovery. As we move forward, it’s apparent that many of the old models have not changed with investors still buying up housing stock. So, how do we really look at our housing – as our home or as a short-term investment?
Speaker:
Jon Greenberg, Executive Editor, New Hampshire Public Radio
Please take a moment to check out the “Working It Out” housing comments we successfully complied on this topic. These comments are from individuals in the housing business—bankers, real estate agents, builders, etc.— as well as renters and home home owners.
Workforce housing: what housing design fits best in your community?
During the past year, three of the state’s regional workforce housing coalitions conducted design charettes that examined how land could be developed in their areas. You be the judge – what worked and what didn’t? What might work best in your community?
Financing for energy improvements: be green, save green
Recent legislative initiatives and innovative programs can provide opportunities for apartment owners and home owners to economically finance energy improvement. What are some of the ways we can reduce our carbon footprint as well as reduce our utility costs? Can they really work?
What has the stimulus accomplished for New Hampshire’s housing?
Federal funds have allowed many housing developments to proceed with construction when they otherwise might have withered without financing. Have stimulus funds carried us through a temporary blip in the economy, or were these funds merely a stopgap for a limited number of projects?
Speaker:
Shelley Hadfield, Consultant, Hadfield Associates
Networking reception (sponsored by the Northern New England Housing Investment Fund)
Presentation of New Hampshire Housing's “Bringing You Home” award