Conference Program Offered Free of Charge in Innovative Virtual Format on October 6, 2020
Seattle, WA (Sept. 14, 2020) – Housing Washington, the leading affordable-housing conference in Washington state, is going virtual with a free, one-day educational event on Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration is now open at www.housingwa.org.
The program will offer a range of live and on-demand learning opportunities, aiming to attract a broad audience to engage in important conversations that drive housing solutions. The conference is offered free of charge this year, courtesy of industry conference sponsors who share a strong commitment to advancing affordable housing in Washington.
Housing Washington is also committed to fostering racial equity and social justice across the affordable housing sector, which is reflected in the conference programming and presenters.
“Housing Washington is an important annual gathering for our industry to learn and discuss critical issues around affordable housing in our state and across the nation,” said Steve Walker, executive director of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, the lead presenting sponsor of Housing Washington. “By going virtual, we aim to remove financial constraints to attend and reach a wider array of participants.”
“With this year’s unprecedented challenges—the pandemic, economic hardship, overdue focus on systemic racism—we have a lot to talk about,” he added.
Two live keynoters, Dr. Tiffany Manuel, president & CEO of TheCaseMade, and Ijeoma Oluo, Seattle-based writer and speaker, bookmark a range of topical breakout sessions, all focusing on aspects of affordable housing issues during this COVID-19 pandemic and on the systemic racism highlighted by the Black Lives Matter movement.
Attendees can join one of 12 concurrent breakout sessions and can return post-event to view additional sessions in an on-demand format.
“Thanks to our virtual format with both live and on-demand sessions, attendees won’t have to miss any session that interests them,” says Walker. “They can also share the on-demand sessions with their teams, extending the opportunities for conversations beyond a typical in-person conference of some 850 attendees.”
The event includes a virtual exposition of exhibitors, recognition of extraordinary people and organizations that are positively impacting Washington state’s affordable housing industry, and opportunities to connect and network. Attendance is free, however registration is required to attend the event or view on-demand sessions post-event.
Through a special cross-event collaboration, Housing Washington attendees can also extend their learning at the Conference on Ending Homelessness (COEH), which takes place October 7-8. Housing Washington registrants will receive a special code to enjoy a discount on their COEH registration. For details on the COEH conference visit www.wliha.org/conference.
Housing Washington 2020 Program
Opening Live Keynote:
Making the Case for Inclusive Communities, Dr. Tiffany Manuel, President & CEO, TheCaseMade
Concurrent Breakout Sessions:
B1: Finding Value in Lives & Property Amid a National Pandemic, Andre Perry, Bookings Institution
B2: Interface of Housing & Rental Markets, Dr. James Young, University of Washington
B3: Fair Housing in a COVID Environment, Adria Buchanan, Fair Housing Center of Washington
B4: Rural Housing in the Face of COVID-19, Marty Miller, Office of Rural & Farmworker Housing
B5: Advancing Affordable & Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), Patience Malaba, Housing Development Consortium
B6: Moving our Missions Forward: Grounding your Message in Racial Justice, Amy Clark, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW
B7: Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Designed to End Racism, Thomas Stagg, Novogradac
B8: Voter Suppression, National Election & Impacts on Housing Rights, David Bradley, National Community Action Foundation
B9: Bending the Curve of Homelessness – Solutions for a Post-Covid World, Dilip Wagle, McKinsey & Company
B10: Housing Underproduction in Washington, Dr. Michael Wilkerson, ECONorthwest
B11: Black Millennials to Homeownership with “The House then the Car” Initiative, Antoine Thomas, National Association of Real Estate Brokers
B12: Developing a Continuum of Housing Options for the Behavioral Health Population, Melodie Pazolt, Health Care Authority; Kira Schneider, Health Care Authority; Milena Stott, Fletcher Group; Melinda Trujillo, Health Care Authority
Closing Live Keynote:
Ijeoma Oluo, Seattle-based writer and speaker
Virtual Conference Sponsors
Top level sponsors contributing to Housing Washington 2020 include Hilltop Securities, Chase, Heritage Bank, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Bank of America, Banner Bank, Beacon Development Group, Capital One Bank, Enterprise/Bellwether Enterprise, KeyBank, Loveridge Hunt & Co. PLLC, R4 Capital, Walsh Construction Co., Umpqua Bank, and ZBA Architecture, along with a host of additional sponsors, and nonprofit and governmental supporting organizations.
About Housing Washington
Housing Washington is Washington state’s most significant resource for affordable housing guidance, innovation, and solutions. Led by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission in partnership with the Washington State Department of Commerce and Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, the 27th annual conference is designed to enhance the skills, vision, and understanding of professionals working in affordable housing in Washington state and challenges them to work toward racial equity and social justice. www.housingwa.org.
Media Contact
Catherine Filippini
Housing Washington
catherine@housingwa.org
# # #