As the foreclosure crisis continues across the country, communities are experiencing ever growing numbers of foreclosed properties and the negative effects they cause. With neighborhood stabilization efforts already underway using the first round of Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds, Enterprise Community Partners, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, the National Housing Conference, the National Community Stabilization Trust and NeighborWorks America are partnering to present a series of Webinars focused on providing practitioners an opportunity to learn new strategies and hear about best practices that will further enhance their programs.
The series will run four Tuesdays in a row: September 15, 22, 29 and October 6. Each session will start with a Webinar from 2-3 p.m. EDT. Following the Webinar, from 3-4 p.m. EDT, presenters will be available to answer your questions on the HousingPolicy.org Forum. You must register for each Webinar separately. For the online discussion portion of each session, registration on the Forum is only required during your first visit. Please see below for details on each session.
Program Design for Maximum Impact—September 15
Where and how should communities focus their neighborhood stabilization efforts to achieve the best results? What variables should be considered when making these decisions? This session will address how to optimize the impact of a neighborhood stabilization program, including concentrated targeting, strategic property selection, and innovative public-private partnerships. Alan Mallach from the Brookings Institution and Bill Goldsmith from the Chicago Neighborhood Stabilization Corporation will present and share best practices.
• Register for September 15 Webinar from 2-3 p.m. EDT
• Register for online Forum discussion from 3-4 p.m. EDT
Acquisition Strategies—September 22
This session will focus on acquisition strategies for communities that are attempting to purchase foreclosed properties for resale or rental. Tom Lin from Bank of America will discuss how to put a proposal together in order work collaboratively with servicers. The National Community Stabilization Trust will discuss how it is helping communities create and implement their strategies, and best practices for purchasing the properties in their desired geography and leveraging dollars will be highlighted.
• Register for September 22 Webinar from 2-3 p.m. EDT
• Register for online Forum discussion from 3-4 p.m. EDT
Disposition Strategies—September 29
This session will focus on disposition strategies for NSP properties. Ben Nichols from the Cleveland office of Enterprise Community Partners will discuss best practices in Cleveland, including lease-purchase programs, for-sale subsidies, and long-term rental strategies using the LIHTC. Chris Pahule, Assistant Director of Community Development at the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Authority will discuss their rationale and process to develop mortgage assistance programs and marketing strategies to further NSP efforts. Both presenters will discuss best program practices and provide recommendations on how to set up similar programs.
• Register for September 29 Webinar from 2-3 p.m. EDT
• Register for online Forum discussion from 3-4 p.m. EDT
Performance Measurement—October 6
Panelists will discuss several techniques designed to capture quantitative and qualitative outcomes from your community stabilization activities. Drawing from their academic and on-the-ground experience, the panelists will talk about traditional and creative measures needed to help you meet reporting requirements and “tell your story”. Measuring progress toward stabilization outcomes is critical to evaluating the effectiveness of various strategies and investments.
• Register for October 6 Webinar from 2-3 p.m. EDT
• Register for online Forum discussion from 3-4 p.m. EDT