Yesterday Ballard Spahr held its 9th annual National Housing Symposium in Washington, D.C.. The theme of the Symposium was “Beyond the Horizon: Housing and Community Development Strategies for the Future”. Government officials, investors, developers, lenders, and other housing professionals spent the day discussing affordable housing issues. To give a flavor of what was discussed, below is a sampling of some of the interesting facts, statistics and ideas expressed:
1) On average for every $1 of public funds used, $19 of private funds was available for rehabilitation of the first 7,500 public housing units converted through the Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (RAD).
2) The EB-5 Investor Immigration Program has been used for residential financings and may be a viable option for soft loans for affordable housing financing.
3) CRA markets continue to demand high low income housing tax credit (LIHTC) pricing, with one investor being outbid at $1.19.
4) Each night 578,000 individuals in the United States are homeless.
5) Senior services are extensive and a necessary part of successful senior housing.
6) Housing should be a bipartisan issue.
If you were unable to attend, we hope to see you next year.