In permanent supporting housing, NPH members work to create safe, affordable communities that help all residents thrive. This cannot happen without passionate, skilled, and engaged frontline staff and with resident voices informing what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. What is a “day in the life” of a frontline staff member? What are the top-of-mind concerns of residents? “Eavesdrop” on a conversation among the people who really know how PSH programs and policies manifest at the site level. Panelists will also share their ideas of solutions or changes that would be most powerful. If you’re involved in the financing and production of PSH, this is an opportunity you don’t want to pass up.

Tracks: Resident Services, Asset Management, & Property Management, Affordable Housing Development
Workshop Audience: Asset Managers, Developers, Government Staff, Lenders, Project Managers
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

How do you prioritize investments in affordable housing when all needs are critical and deep? Join the City of Oakland’s Department of Housing and Community Development to learn more about how it incorporated data, a Racial Equity Impact Analysis (REIA), and community engagement to shape its four-year strategic plan. The lessons learned will be useful for any organization, not just local governments, that face difficult tradeoffs and tensions in spending scarce dollars.

Tracks: Narrative Solutions and Advocacy Campaigns, Federal, State, and Local Policy Solutions
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Community Organizing Staff, Developers, Government Staff, Resident Services Staff, All sectors
Skill Level: Beginner

This interactive workshop will focus on the 2024 electoral efforts to lower the voter threshold for local affordable housing bond measures through a Statewide Constitutional Amendment and the $10-20 billion Bay Area affordable housing bond. From the perspective of policymakers, developers, and practitioners, panelists will discuss the recent developments in both campaigns and efforts to build a big tent coalition to ensure their success. Together, these groundbreaking campaigns can lead to system change and greater housing security and racial equity by unlocking billions of dollars for the creation and preservation of thousands of affordable homes. The New York City Housing Development Corporation model provides lessons for how the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority can reach scale and sustainability through re-investment of funds and innovation. Join us to learn how you can get involved in these transformative campaigns!

Tracks: Affordable Housing Development
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Developers, Government Staff, Project Managers
Skill Level: Intermediate

This workshop intends to recap recent discussions around supplier diversity and AB 2873 within the affordable housing development. AB 2873 is legislation that will require affordable housing developers that receive California Tax Credit Allocation Committee tax credits over a certain threshold to report on their supplier diversity spending with women, minorities, disabled veterans, and LGBTQIA+ business enterprises and develop procurement plans to increase their spending. This workshop will share best practices to increase supplier diversity on affordable housing projects and to comply with AB 2873.

Tracks: Racial and Economic Equity and Inclusion, Affordable Housing Development, Federal, State, and Local Policy Solutions
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Attorneys, Developers, Government Staff, Lenders, Project Managers, Property Managers
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

Community lending and investing are among the most critical and catalytic components in the production of affordable housing and community development. This panel will take a look at current conditions that inform lending and investing decisions while also delving into the ways that investors and lenders are responding to current and future developments in order to maximize their impact in dollars and beyond. Our panelists will address lending and investing opportunities to increase racial justice and equity, how climate change may be impacting their work, the impact of economic trends on pricing, investor appetite, and what this may mean for your pipeline.

Tracks: Affordable Housing Finance, Affordable Housing Development
Workshop Audience: Developers, Lenders, Project Managers
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

As we develop more in high-resource areas, we are learning some hard lessons. One of the main challenges with developing in high-resource neighborhoods is wealthy and litigious neighbors. This panel has experience developing in some of the most expensive and exclusionary Bay Area neighborhoods and dive deep into tactics and strategies to combat lawsuits, political challenges, and increased costs. Topics will include the development of a press strategy, streamlining options and other State-level tools, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) tips and tricks. We look forward to sharing our experience on how we moved forward through these challenges and from a variety of perspectives — developer, lawyer, and City partner. We promise to make it fun with some Star Wars, Harry Potter, and other references!

Tracks: Affordable Housing Development
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Attorneys, Community Organizing Staff, Developers
Government Staff, Lenders, Project Managers
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

Nonprofit organizational sustainability and resilience has been tested in the recent past with the COVID-19 Pandemic. This workshop will focus on what nonprofits should consider when evaluating organizational strengths and weaknesses, what benchmarks they should aspire to achieve to ensure resilience, and the impact that social service nonprofit agencies have in their communities. The proposed panel will provide nonprofit leadership with tangible advice on evaluation tools and implementation techniques. Speakers will also utilize case studies of nonprofits that have needed to consolidate or reposition to ensure long-term success.

Tracks: Non-Profit Operations, Affordable Housing Finance
Workshop Audience: Accountants, Asset Managers, Attorneys, Developers
Government Staff, Lenders, Project Managers
Skill Level: Intermediate

Californians are eager for homelessness solutions, and affordable housing is a great one. So why don’t we talk about it that way? Narrative and messaging can help bridge the divide between the housing and homelessness fields and set them both up for success. Presenters will share real-life case studies and practical communication tools that participants can learn from and apply to their own work. You don’t have to be a communications professional to benefit from this session—we are all communicators.

Tracks: Narrative Solutions and Advocacy Campaigns, Addressing Homelessness
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Community Organizing Staff, Developers, Government Staff, Project Managers, Resident Services Staff
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

As demand for tax-exempt bonds from new construction developments wanes and a potential fix to the 50% bond test progresses through Congress, rehabilitation projects are back on the table in California. Join our panel of experts as we review new and existing rehabilitation funding programs (State historic credits, IRA solar credits, Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, Portfolio Reinvestment Program). We’ll walk through sample projects and discuss a framework for how to approach portfolio rehabs and Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) acquisition/rehabs.

Tracks: Affordable Housing Development, Affordable Housing Finance, Asset Management
Workshop Audience: Asset Managers, Developers, Government Staff, Lenders
Project Managers
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

The workshop will explore what can happen when Black people are at the center of the housing conversation. We hope to help participants understand the significance of establishing a Statewide Black Housing fund. We will look at the displacement data over thirty years and expound on how displacement impacts health, wealth, quality of life, and community. From our data, we have found that people are moving for affordable rentals and homeownership. There hasn’t been a statewide response to the displacement of Black residents. We want participants to understand that this statewide Black Housing Fund is one of the many options needed to repair and redress the harm that has occurred. This discussion is not about blame; but rather about changing the material condition of Black Californians. The workshop topics are Statewide Black Housing Fund, Supporting Emerging/Established, Black Developers, and creating Black Cultural Districts.

Tracks: Federal, State, and Local Policy Solutions, Racial and Economic Equity and Inclusion
Workshop Audience: All Sectors
Skill Level: Beginner

The reality of rising construction costs, interest rates, and competition for public funds, all paired with a housing shortage has created a perfect storm for development of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) in the Bay Area. Join us to hear how our panel is exploring and implementing innovative and replicable approaches to project design and financing to achieve cost and timing efficiencies in the development of PSH. We’ll outline key challenges facing the production of PSH and explore design and financing innovations allowing developers to build PSH at a lower cost and faster speed utilizing 3 project case studies to discuss mechanisms to achieve efficient cost-per-unit goals, project schedules, as well as lessons learned.

Track: Addressing Homelessness, Affordable Housing Development, Affordable Housing Finance
Workshop Audience: Developers, Project Managers
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

The second Super NOFA application round was a wrap in July of 2023. While the 2023 round incorporated changes from the first round, further updates are also expected for next year’s round. This panel will provide a debrief on the first Round, an update on Round 2 review progress, and expected changes for the 2024 Round. The goal of this panel is to provide information and transparency on the Super NOFA process: what’s working, what can be improved, and what can be expected going forward. Significant time will be made available for audience feedback and questions.

Tracks: Affordable Housing Finance, Affordable Housing Development
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Developers, Government Staff, Lenders, Project Managers
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

Preservation* is a key racial equity strategy that stabilizes tenants, prevents displacement and brings more housing stock into permanent affordability. The field is experimenting with different models of preservation, with approaches differing depending on building size, financing structures, and project sponsor goals and partnerships. Public sector, philanthropy, and intermediaries are launching new programs to provide innovative capital financing and capacity-building dollars to support organizations in growing the preservation and community ownership ecosystem.

In this session, we’ll explore some of these new programs, map out how they are serving this growing ecosystem, and identify gaps that the community development field can come together to build. Join our panel of experts in a discussion about the preservation models they are supporting and discuss what our ecosystem needs across the state to support successful preservation at all sizes.

*In this session, we’re focused on preservation as acquiring and rehabbing buildings that are on the speculative market and pulling them into long-term or permanent affordability.

Tracks: Affordable Housing Development, Racial and Economic Equity and Inclusion, Affordable Housing Finance
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Community Organizing Staff, Developers
Government Staff, Lenders, Project Managers
Skill Level: Intermediate

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, transit agencies were aggressively building up their transit-oriented development (TOD) policies and pipelines. Large and amenity-rich TOD sites were being positioned as important and environmentally sustainable tools to address the region’s housing crisis. The pandemic has left a devastating impact on many transit agencies’ budgets, while also threatening the economic feasibility for many of these potentially transformative developments. In addition, the landscape of affordable housing finance has become even more complex – with rising costs and competitiveness of scarce public resources making it increasingly difficult to make projects feasible.

Join us for a discussion on how the goal to advance equitable TOD has been reshaped since the pandemic, to learn about strategies that agencies and developers are currently taking on to bring these projects to fruition, and how this work can be influenced through upcoming engagement and advocacy opportunities.

Tracks: Affordable Housing Development, Federal, State, and Local Policy Solutions, Affordable Housing Finance
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Community Organizing Staff, Developers, Government Staff, Lenders, Project Managers, All sectors
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

Hear updates from the Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) and California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) staff and a panel of developers discussing newly available resources for rehabilitations and other timely program developments. Bring your questions and recommendations for program changes.

Tracks: Affordable Housing Finance, Federal, State, and Local Policy Solutions, Affordable Housing Development
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Attorneys, Developers, Government Staff, Lenders
Project Managers
Skill Level: Intermediate

California’s homelessness crisis is front and center to community members, voters, and policymakers. We know that Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) works when it is resourced appropriately, and that it is a critical component within the broader continuum of housing types. With the findings from our recent research on the relationship between costs and outcomes in PSH as a backdrop, this session brings together PSH property operators and service providers, researchers, and public sector leaders to debate the systemic changes that would facilitate real change for PSH residents. Our panel of experts will debate which resources and reforms are essential for the PSH ecosystem to thrive, including ideas for improving Coordinated Entry implementation and the role of Interim Housing. Participants will benefit both from hearing divergent viewpoints and have opportunities to engage in a rich conversation that would draw out lessons for homelessness systems change and advocacy work.

Track: Addressing Homelessness, Federal, State, and Local Policy Solutions
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Asset Managers, Attorneys, Community Organizing Staff, Developers, Government Staff, Lenders, Project Managers, Property Managers, Resident Services Staff, All sectors
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

SB4 is poised to be passed by the California Legislature and has the potential to create a new market for faith-based development throughout California, opening up over 30,000 acres to affordable housing development by allowing faith institutions to build 100% affordable housing on their property by-right.
What does it take to advance faith-based development equitably and in partnership with or led by communities of color? How do we ensure that community ownership and agency are retained, and faith communities are not exploited?

This panel discussion aims to explore the essential elements and strategies for advancing equitable faith-based development initiatives, focusing on LISC Bay Area’s Faith and Housing program. By bringing together a range of voices from faith leaders, development practitioners, and community development intermediary organizations, this panel seeks to highlight the intersection of faith and equitable development in service of addressing the Bay Area’s affordable housing crisis.

Tracks: Racial and Economic Equity and Inclusion, Affordable Housing Development
Workshop Audience: Accountants, Community Organizing Staff, Developers, Government Staff, Lenders, Project Managers
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

How might we inspire hundreds of thousands of Bay Area voters to believe that when it comes to building a future of housing justice, change is possible and they have the power to make it happen by working together?

That’s the question at the heart of a new regional narrative campaign to build public support for the milestone reforms we need to win to achieve a just and equitable Bay Area where everyone has a safe place to call home.

Join NPH and Shift the Bay for a preview of campaign plans and new messaging you can use, to hear about the research undergirding this campaign, and to discuss opportunities for participating in the campaign over the coming year.

Tracks: Narrative Solutions and Advocacy Campaigns, Racial and Economic Equity and Inclusion
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Community Organizing Staff, Developers, Resident Services Staff
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

The value-add of neighborhood-based community development organizations, despite their long history growing out of the Civil Rights Movement, is still largely underestimated and misunderstood. In this time of resounding calls for racial equity across private and public sectors, neighborhood-based Community Development Corporations (CDCs) have been at the forefront of the housing justice struggles in communities of color. Here in Northern California, we are fortunate to have a number of nonprofit housing organizations deeply embedded in communities of color and led by people of color, and equity-minded public agency partners. Our panel will examine how the experiences, needs, and voices of those most harmed by systemic racism continue to be centered in decision-making.
This panel will speak about current affordable housing successes and challenges at the neighborhood- regional- and state-level, including Affirmatively Further Fair Housing (AFFH) and Opportunity Map Framework that impacts cultural stabilization and production of new affordable housing in culturally sensitive and historically disinvested areas.

Tracks: Racial and Economic Equity and Inclusion, Affordable Housing Development, Federal, State, and Local Policy Solutions
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Attorneys, Community Organizing Staff
Developers, Government Staff, Lenders, Project Managers
Resident Services Staff
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

As affordable housing providers, we aim to ensure that our residents live in a safe & healthy environment while being provided the support they need to reach their fullest potential. At the same time, we keep our properties in compliance with funding sources, both physical and financial. Creating a Housing Retention Policy that focuses on the collaboration between Property Management and Resident Services guarantees effective building operations and focuses on meeting our “double bottom line.” When we collaborate, we advance equity. When we are clear about our common goal: to keep residents housed safely, we promote equity. We wish to inspire mission-driven housing providers to adopt a collaborative approach to housing management and to use this workshop as a launching point to spark ideas and adapt this model to their work.

Tracks: Resident Services, Property Management and Asset Management
Racial and Economic Equity and Inclusion
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Asset Managers, Attorneys, Community Organizing Staff, Developers, Government Staff, Project Managers, Property Managers
Skill Level: All Skill Levels

There is a significant overrepresentation of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) individuals who are homeless or need more affordable housing, while there remains a substantial underrepresentation of BIPOC developers, especially those with deep community connections, in the affordable and supportive housing industry. To expand BIPOC developers’ access to capital and resources, funders have taken steps to break down barriers that inhibit BIPOC-led housing development.

Please join us in an interactive discussion of obstacles identified, successes gained, and lessons learned. You will hear specific examples of programmatic and policy efforts such as BIPOC setting aside funding pools; changes in scoring matrices; technical assistance and training designed for BIPOC developers; revisions to underwriting and credit policies; impact scorecards; and capacity-building grants. Engage as a partner in this critical work by sharing your community’s strategies and your ideas for next steps so that we can all progress further toward racial equity.

Tracks: Racial and Economic Equity and Inclusion, Affordable Housing Finance, Affordable Housing Development
Workshop Audience: Advocates, Attorneys, Community Organizing Staff, Developers
Government Staff, Lenders, Project Managers
Skill Level: All Skill Levels