On November 17^th the National Housing Conference will host its Solutions for Affordable Housing online convening to explore policy solutions to address the nation’s most pressing housing challenges. The event will feature influential experts in housing, lending, homelessness, community development, as well as federal, state, and local government officials. Sessions will include the successes and lessons learned from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, Homeowner’s Assistance Fund, implications of unified rulemaking in CRA modernization, and promise and progress of HUD’s new initiative, House America.

Keynote speaker

Gene B. Sperling was the Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. Upon his appointment on January 7, 2011, Mr. Sperling became the first person to serve as NEC Director and principal economic policy advisor for two presidents: first under President Clinton from 1997 to 2001, and then under President Obama. On March 15, 2021, President Joe Biden announced that Sperling was selected to oversee the roll out of the newly signed $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Panel discussion: Lessons learned on the Emergency Rental Assistance program

Doug Bibby is President of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), a national organization of more than 1,400 member firms involved in the nearly $3 trillion multifamily housing industry. Under his leadership NMHC represents the industry on Capitol Hill and before the regulatory agencies, promotes research and the exchange of information, and advocates for rental housing across a broad spectrum of issues.

Stockton Williams was appointed Executive Director of the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) in March 2018. He leads NCSHA’s wide-ranging efforts to advocate and strengthen the central role of state housing finance agencies in the nation’s housing system. Stockton has held senior leadership positions in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors throughout a career dedicated to expanding housing opportunity. He has been an advisor to local communities across the U.S., an author of original research, and a commentator in the media on real estate and economic development issues.

Diane Yentel is the President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), a membership organization dedicated solely to achieving socially just public policy that ensures people with the lowest incomes in the United States have affordable and decent homes. Diane is a veteran affordable housing policy expert with over two decades of work on affordable housing and community development.

Marietta Rodriguez is President and CEO of Neighborworks America. She works with senior executives and nationally renowned experts to leverage the power of public-private partnerships. She has a proven record of leadership and accomplishment, creating and executing strategic initiatives that address some of the toughest challenges facing low-income families: homeownership, foreclosure prevention, community building and engagement.

Panel discussion: Homeowners Assistance Fund

Julienne Joseph is Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) Office of Single Family Housing.

Maria Fernandez is Senior Associate Director at the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

Mark McArdle is Assistant Director for Mortgage Markets at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Meg Burns is the Housing Policy Council’s Executive Vice President. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the association’s regulatory policy, government affairs, and membership services. Meg joined HPC as the SVP for Mortgage Policy, managing various regulatory and housing finance policy activities and engaging with federal policymakers.

Nia Hope is Vice President of Global Public Policy for the JP Morgan Chase PolicyCenter. In her role, she works to advance promising national, regional, and local policies that help unlock opportunity for excluded communities and drive a more inclusive economy. Her work is focused on JP Morgan Chase’ Affordable Housing and Second Chance Agenda.

Panel discussion: Community Reinvestment Act modernization

Anthony Weekly is Director of Community Reinvestment Act and Community Development at Truist Bank.

David Dworkin is President and CEO of the National Housing Conference, the nation’s oldest housing coalition, founded in 1931. Prior to joining NHC in 2018, Mr. Dworkin was a senior policy adviser at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he advised Treasury Department officials on matters related to housing and community development. He also served as a member of the President Barack Obama’s Detroit interagency team, where his responsibilities included developing and implementing strategies to assist in the City of Detroit’s revitalization.

Benson F. “Buzz” Roberts is the President and CEO of the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders (NAAHL). Buzz was the Director of the Office of Small Business, Community Development and Housing Policy at the U.S. Treasury Department from 2011 to 2015. He was previously Senior Vice President for Policy and Program Development at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a leading nonprofit investor in low-income community development.

Tatiana Gutierrez is Managing Director at Pretium’s Affordable Housing team.

Panel discussion: House America

Nan Roman is President and CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, a public education, advocacy and capacity-building organization. She is a leading national voice on the issue of homelessness. Under her guidance, the Alliance has successfully identified and promoted innovative strategies for ending homelessness that have been adopted by communities across the country. In her role, Ms. Roman works closely with members of Congress and the Administration, as well as with officials and advocates at the state and local levels.

Richard Cho is senior advisor to Secretary Marcia Fudge at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Mayor Libby Schaaf was born and raised in Oakland, which she proudly describes as, “The most unapologetic Sanctuary City in America.” During her tenure, Oakland has undergone an economic revitalization and building boom, as well as cut gun violence in half. Her “17K/17K Housing Plan” has helped increase Oakland’s affordable housing production, stabilize rents, and decrease evictions. Her innovative public-private partnerships Keep Oakland Housed and Cabin Communities are credited with preventing 1,800 families a year from losing their housing, while resolving some of Oakland’s most unsafe street encampments. In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Mayor Schaaf to California’s first Council of Regional Homeless Advisors.

Tasha Gray joined the Homeless Action Network of Detroit (HAND) in June of 2009. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director, providing oversight and leadership to all of HAND’s programs and services as well as serving as an advocate to the area’s homeless population.

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