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The Affordable Housing Group Training Center and The Association of Housing Counselors presents a housing counseling training opportunity

Advanced Housing Counseling- Track B
December 2 - 5, 2008

U.S. Department of HUD, Greensboro Field Office
Asheville Building
1500 Pinecroft Road
4th Floor Training Center
Greensboro, NC 27407

For more information, and to register, visit: www.associationofhousingcounselors.org

The State of the Affordable Housing Industry: A 90-Minute Teleconference

Tuesday, December 2, 2008, 2:00 - 3:30 PM EST

Brought to you by the
American Bar Association
Forum on Affordable Housing and
Community Development Law
Young Lawyers Division

Although many practitioners in the affordable housing industry were heartened by the passage of Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (“HERA”) , which included many needed revisions to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, the recent dramatic economic downturn, evidenced by lenders that have collapsed or been sold along with a significant reduction in the number of investors active in the tax credit market, has caused grave concern as to its impacts on the development and maintenance of affordable housing for the foreseeable future.

The Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, in conjunction with the Young Lawyers Division, is bringing together representatives of the industry to discuss the current state of affairs as well as exploring new and creative ways to finance much needed affordable housing, as well as working to attract lenders and investors back into the market.  The panel will also address the implications and opportunities brought about by the election of President-elect Obama and his incoming administration.

Our very knowledgeable and experienced panel will provide their own particular perspective, ranging from a major tax credit investor/syndicator to the country’s largest holder of multifamily debt to a very active and progressive State housing finance allocating agency.

This teleconference is intended for attorneys, lenders, investors, developers and others interested in gaining a more global perspective on the state of today’s affordable housing industry.

Please Contact Dawn R. Holiday at 312-988-5660 if you have any question or concerns or by email at holidayd@staff.abanet.org

Morganton SOAR Training

Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008: 8:30 AM to Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008 5:00 PM EST

Workshop Highlights:

• An in-depth, step-by-step explanation of the SSI/SSDI application and disability determination process
• Strategies for working with homeless persons with serious mental illness and co-occurring disorders – only a fraction of this population receives the benefits to which they are entitled
• Exercises and worksheets provide practical application tools
• Samples and explanations of SSA and DDS paperwork and necessary reports

For more information, visit www.ncceh.org or contact Susanna Birdsong at (919) 755-4393 or susanna@ncceh.org.

SOAR Essentials Wilmington

Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM EST

SOAR Essentials is a 4 hour training geared toward those who supervise or support SOAR case workers in their agency or community.

Workshop Highlights:

• A step-by-step explanation of the SSI/SSDI application and disability determination process
• Strategies for working with homeless persons with serious mental illness and co-occurring disorders – only a fraction of this population receives the benefits to which they are entitled
• Samples and explanations of SSA and DDS paperwork and necessary reports
• Agency and community implementation planning

For more information, visit www.ncceh.org or contact Susanna Birdsong at (919) 755-4393 or susanna@ncceh.org.

Tax Credits As A Development Tool:  North Carolina Tax Credit Seminar Series

Overview
Through a variety of federal and state tax credit programs, property owners and investors can receive substantial incentives for private investment. Proper use of these incentives can result in a sizable infusion of equity into qualifying projects and can be the difference between a project that is economically feasible and one that isn't.

Each of these sessions will address one of the specific tax credit programs. Come learn the basics of each, or stay for a more detailed discussion, and determine if tax credit projects should be part of your investment or development portfolio.

Seminar Schedule

7:30 - 8:00 Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:00 - 9:15 Introductory Program

9:30 - 10:45 Advanced Program

Tuesday, December 9 - Energy

Seminar will be held at
The Embassy Suites Hotel
204 Centerpoint Drive
Greensboro, NC

The fee for each class is $45 per person.

Attendees can register for all four at a discounted rate of $150.

Please register by calling Evie Victorson at 704.295.9862 or by e-mail at evie.victorson@reznickgroup.com

How to Become a HUD-Approved Agency, Greensboro

Event Date: December 11, 2008
Event Time: 8:30 AM-4:00 PM

Description: Becoming a HUD-approved agency allows your organization access to grants from HUD under the NOFA, bid on and purchase homes at a discount, finance FHA-insured mortgages with the same terms and conditions as an owner-occupant and provide secondary financing such as down payment & closing costs to borrowers originating FHA-insured mortgages. Upon completion, your organization will have enough information to put the finishing touches on the application and send to HUD for approval.

Register Online

Location: Greensboro HUD Office, Training Room 4th floor, 1500 Pinecroft Rd, Greensboro, NC 27407

Contact Name: Cynthia DuRant
For more information, please call: 336-547-4000 Ext. 2113

Put Your Action Plan to Work: How to Use HUD’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program in Your Community

Thursday, December 11, 2008
NeighborWorks Training Institute
Washington, DC

NeighborWorks America is convening a special one-day forum in Washington, DC on December 11^th with national experts focusing on the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to help local practitioners understand how to effectively use the $3.92 billion in funding from the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.

Speakers at this forum will include Craig Nickerson from the National Community Stabilization Trust, Daniel Kildee from the Genesee County Land Bank, and Bruce Katz from the Brookings Institution, along with many other industry experts from states and localities addressing this issue.

The focus of the forum will be:

• Learning how to design and successfully implement community stabilization strategies to reuse vacant and foreclosed properties;
• Providing more details about the designated uses of Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds; and
• Sharing examples of innovative neighborhood stabilization strategies being used by practitioners across the country.

Apply for Media Awards

The 2008 Cushing Niles Dolbeare Media Awards recognize print journalists who do an exemplary job of illuminating the affordable housing crisis in the United States.

The awards will honor first-prize winners with a $2,500 prize. Winners will be recognized during a reception on April 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. Honorable mentions will also be recognized.

The awards are named in honor of the late Cushing N. Dolbeare, long-time housing advocate and founder of the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC).

NLIHC is committed to raising awareness about the situation of low income individuals who lack access to safe and affordable homes and solutions.

The goal of the Cushing Niles Dolbeare Media Awards is to recognize print journalists who make a dedicated effort to inform the public about the inequities in housing and to add to the understanding of the disparities between the well-housed and the poorly or un-housed in a community, and to encourage journalists who do not normally cover low income housing issues to do so.

For more information, click here.

Glenbrook Crossing now Leasing

Glenbrook Crossing is a newly transformed 63-unit affordable rental apartment community located in Southeast Raleigh at the intersection of Dacian Road and Glenbrook Drive.   Formerly known as Dacian Glen Apartments, this revitalized community now has on-site property management and is conveniently located on a CAT bus line and within walking distance of the Kroger Shopping Center on Martin Luther King Boulevard.  There are 14 one-bedroom, 46 two-bedroom, and 3 three-bedroom apartments at Glenbrook Crossing.  All apartments include the following features for residents’ comfort and convenience: range and oven, refrigerator, mini-blinds, dishwasher, central air and heat, and a mix of carpet and vinyl flooring; many units also have hook-ups for washing machines.  Glenbrook Crossing will contain four accessible apartments units.  On-site amenities available to all residents include a separate community building with kitchenette, laundry facility, community room, computer center, management office, as well as an on-site playground.

16 units are reserved for households earning 30% AMI or less and the balance are reserved at 60% AMI.  DHIC has a partnership with Wake County Human Services to target 7 apartment units at Glenbrook Crossing for households headed by individuals with disabilities, families with children who have disabilities or households that were formerly homeless.  Rents for these units are affordable for households with extremely low incomes and residents will be able to access Key Program operating assistance. 

Financing

The City of Raleigh and Wake County are important public partners in this development with low-interest loans in the respective amounts of $1,400,000 and $320,000.  The NC Housing Finance Agency is providing a $592,632 loan in third position along with a reservation of tax credits.   The syndication of these tax credits by Enterprise Community Partners resulted in $5,150,0000 of equity and DHIC is providing two loans totaling $450,000 via a NeighborWorksâ America capital grant.

For more information on this community, please visit our website: www.dhic.org,  or call 919-390-0098 or email:  glenbrook-crossing@cmc-nc.com

Wakefield Manor Apartments Now Accepting Applications

Wakefield Manor Apartments is a new 96-unit affordable senior rental apartment community located in Wakefield Plantation in North Raleigh on 10702 Oliver Road, between Capital Boulevard and New Falls of Neuse Road.  Wakefield Manor, a 55+ senior community is adjacent to Wakefield Hills at 10801 Common Oaks Dr. Raleigh 27614.  Wakefield Manor consists of 2 buildings. The Wakefield Hill apartments, an 80-unit affordable family apartment rental community, was completed in January 2008.  Wakefield Manor is taking applications for one and two bedroom apartments and will be completed later this summer. 

Units Targeted for People who have Disabilities 

Ten units at Wakefield Manor Apartments are reserved for older adults headed by individuals with disabilities.   Rents for these units are affordable for seniors with extremely low incomes.  The residents in these units will be referred by a local lead agency, Resources for Seniors, a Wake County agency, that will continue to provide follow-up services to these residents as needed.  Please contact Resources for Seniors at 919.713.1591 

Summary

DHIC is committed to ensuring a real supportive services plan with real human and financial resources.  We believe the most important element of this plan is that we are collaborating with and leveraging services from other community-based agencies that are highly experienced service providers.

Finally, DHIC notes that 24 of the 96 apartments in this development are restricted to seniors with incomes of less than 30% of the area median income, with 15 of the 96 for 40 % or less and 57 of the 96 for 60 % or less of the AMI. We believe that there is a strong demand for these units and developments like ours are another step in offering real housing options for low-income seniors.  We also expect that Wakefield Manor will be served by public transportation in the near future.  The Wake County TRACS transportation program is available to residents of Wake County residing in the northern service zones, provided five days a week.  Our site is conveniently located near stores, restaurants, Rex Healthcare, Northern Wake Senior Center, Kerr Family YMCA and numerous employers.

For more information on this community, please visit our website: www.dhic.org or http://www.wakefield-manor.com

NC Housing Search: Free Marketing Service for Owners / Managers

Property owners and managers can reach thousands of potential renters through NCHousingSearch.org, a statewide marketing service for affordable rental housing. NCHousingSearch.org is cosponsored by the N.C. Housing Finance Agency and powered by Socialserve, a nonprofit that has worked in the Asheville, Charlotte and Greensboro areas for several years.

This free service allows you to highlight the amenities and features of your property, provide photos and list eligibility requirements. Landlords can also take advantage of several built-in property management tools. The site is currently recruiting landlords to list properties. We strongly encourage property owners and managers in our programs to list with NCHousingSearch.org.

Through NCHousingSearch.org, renters can search your up-to-date property vacancies, get maps and directions, see pictures and contact information. Individuals without Internet access can request information to be mailed or faxed to them at by calling a toll-free number, 877-428-8844. This bilingual call center is available to assist both landlords and tenants with listing and locating properties.

For more information go to NCHousingSearch.org.

Hope Now Coalition – Foreclosure Resources

As part of the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act, NeighborWorks® America has been designated as the administrator of a $180 million national mortgage foreclosure mitigation counseling program. Under the legislation, NeighborWorks America (formally the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation) will make grants to housing counseling intermediaries approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to qualifying state Housing Finance Agencies (HFAs) and will also provide foreclosure counseling training courses to those who qualify.

To learn more about the program and its requirements please click here.

The second draft of the 2009 Qualified Allocation Plan is now on the NC Housing Finance Agency website, along with Appendix A (market study), Appendix B (design requirements), and an updated memorandum listing major changes.  The direct link is  www.nchfa.com/Rental/RD2009qap.aspx.   Please review the changes memorandum first.

Rental Investment staff will present these policies and other topics at the North Carolina Affordable Housing Conference:
www.nchfa.com/About/forum.aspx