Affordable housing takes center stage during the 2009 Ohio Housing Conference
COLUMBUS, OH – November 17, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Hundreds of developers, real estate agents, lenders, property managers and other affordable housing stakeholders are meeting in Columbus this week to discuss issues impacting the housing industry both locally and nationally. The 11th Annual Ohio Housing Conference, “Opportunities. Insights. Solutions.,” gets underway today at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and runs through November 19. The event co-hosted by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) and the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing (OCCH) is traditionally one of the largest housing conferences in the United States.
“The opportunity to come together and focus on finding solutions to the challenges we face in the affordable housing industry is invaluable,” said Doug Garver, executive director of OHFA, the state’s predominant housing agency that develops affordable housing options from rental assistance to homeownership. “By sharing information during various sessions, roundtable discussions and plenaries, we can discover and implement new initiatives and programs leading to stronger housing opportunities throughout the state.”
This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Farrah Gray, Co-CEO of Realty Pros Real Estate Asset Management Company Brokerage and spokesman for the National Coalition for the Homeless. Dr. Gray was named as one of the most influential Black men in America by the National Urban League’s “Urban Influence Magazine.” He also created the Farrah Gray Foundation that features programs and initiatives focused on inner city community-based entrepreneurship education. The Foundation provides scholarship and grant assistance for at-risk students to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
In recognition of his service to the affordable housing community, Executive Director of the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, Dennis Guest, will be presented with this year’s “Governor’s Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing.” The award is given annually to an individual or organization whose continued dedication to the community’s development increases the quality and availability of affordable housing opportunities for Ohio families. Sandra Pianalto, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, will also deliver a special keynote presentation.
“We are pleased to have the support of industry leaders at the national level from Capitol Hill and local level in Ohio who have several years experience and a deep commitment to affordable housing at this conference,” said Hal Keller, president of Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing. “This annual conference provides one of the best opportunities industry professionals have to network with housing peers and those involved in policy decisions at the state and federal level.”
Attendees can participate in over 45 stimulating and informative industry training sessions including forums such as the State and Federal Plenaries where they will hear local and national leaders debate issues affecting affordable housing in Ohio and the nation. In the Ohio Economic Forecast, panelists will inform conference participants about what the future holds relating to the state’s economy and the housing markets. At various sessions, conference attendees can learn about related topics such as: “Engaging the First-Time Homebuyer,” “New Models for Homebuyer Education,” “Preservation — Where is it Heading,” “Tax Credit 101,” “Changing Universal Design Perspectives,” and “Bond Basics.” Exhibitors representing associations, investment companies, lending institutions, developers, and building supply companies will be available to give participants the opportunity to see the latest products and services available in the affordable housing industry.
OHFA utilizes federal and state resources to provide housing opportunities for families and individuals through programs designed to create, preserve and manage affordable housing throughout the State of Ohio. The Agency is a self-supporting quasi-public agency governed by an eleven-member board, nine of whom are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Two additional seats on the board, by statute, are reserved for the Director of Development and the Director of Commerce or their designees, and both serve as ex officio voting members.
OCCH is a nonprofit financial intermediary that provides developers of affordable housing with access to capital markets. OCCH was created in 1989 by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. As a now independent and self-supporting 501©3 nonprofit organization with its own Board of Directors, OCCH has become the largest locally controlled syndicator of Low Income Housing Tax Credits in the nation. OCCH has raised more than $1.75 billion in corporate equity for LIHTC projects involving more than 425 transactions and 22,000 affordable housing units in Ohio and Kentucky.
