Agenda

Download a PDF of the Program

Day One, April 8th

8:30-9:00AM:  Registration & Breakfast

9:00-9:20AM:  Welcome & Introductions

  • Graham Wilson, Professor and Director, Boston University Initiative on Cities
  • Bob Annibale, Global Director, Citi Community Development and Inclusive Finance
  • Corinne Letourneau, Deputy Director for City Resilience Delivery, North America, 100 Resilient
    Cities, The Rockefeller Foundation
  • Laurel Blatchford, President, Enterprise Community Partners

9:20-9:40AM: The Honorable Martin J. Walsh, Mayor of Boston

9:45-11:15AM:  Panel 1—Scaling Up Social Housing: Lessons from Three Countries

Federal housing programs have been an essential resource for millions of seniors, persons with disabilities, and those living on very little-to-no income; however, the administration has voiced its priority to reduce, rather than expand federal housing assistance. While the United States has long battled a public housing crisis (and stigma), large-scale social housing models continue to grow around the world, with the state or non-profit organizations (or a combination of the two) providing units at rents deeply affordable to a diverse range of household incomes. This panel of international experts—from Singapore, Brazil, and Vienna—will discuss best practices and challenges of social housing and offer strategies that might be replicated in other cities.

  • Austria: Eva Bauer, Head of Housing Economics, Austrian Federation of Limited-Profit Housing Associations
  • Brazil: Ines da Silva Magalhães, former Minister of Cities, Brazil
  • Singapore: Sock-Yong Phang, Vice Provost, Singapore Management University
  • Moderator: Enrique Silva, Director, International and Institute-Wide Initiatives, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

11:15-11:30AM: Break & Transition

11:30-12:45PM: Facilitated Workshops

Track 1-Permanent Housing Solutions to Homelessness

In 2017, the homeless population in the United States increased for the first time since 2010. And while many countries are facing similar challenges, in Finland, the number of homeless is steadily decreasing. The country has accomplished this by focusing on a Housing First principle, which offers permanent housing and needs-based support for people experiencing homelessness, instead of temporary accommodation in emergency shelters. In Finland, Housing First is a mainstream national homelessness policy with a common framework—and involves a wide partnership of people: the state, volunteers, municipalities, and NGOs. This workshop will dive into permanent solutions to end and prevent homelessness and will highlight the work of the Y-Foundation, the fourth largest landlord in Finland that operates in 50 cities and municipalities and provides homes for people experiencing homelessness and those who are under a threat of becoming homeless.  

        Track 2-Engaging the Public: Building Community Support for Housing Development

Across the United States, communities regularly hold public meetings and hearings on zoning and land use decisions; while this public process is designed to provide opportunities for all voices to engage and be heard, new research shows that voices in opposition to new housing development are overwhelming these meetings, leaving those with barriers to participation out of the decision-making process. This workshop will discuss barriers and opportunities to building public support for the development of multi-family housing.

  • Boston University: Katherine Levine Einstein and Maxwell Palmer, Assistant Professors of Political Science & David Glick, Associate Professor of Political Science
  • Mexico: Surella Segu, Co-Founder & Co-Director, El Cielo Architects

12:45-1:35PM:  Lunch

1:35-2:35PM:  Can Housing Be Affordable and Beautiful? Innovations in Design and Construction Techniques

  • China: James Shen, Principal & Founding Partner, People’s Architecture Office
  • Denmark: Gerti Axelsen, Head of Building & Development, Lejerbo

2:35-4:05PM:  Panel 2—Building Affordability in your City: Examples from Three Countries

Cities have tapped a variety of zoning and land use incentives and regulations to encourage developers either to build affordable units or to reserve some units in larger developments for low- and moderate-income households—among these are density bonuses, relaxed local permitting procedures, and inclusionary zoning. This panel of experts and policymakers will explore innovative land use & zoning regulations used around the world to address the affordability shortage and rising cost of construction. 

  • Colombia: Juan Felipe Pinilla, Land Use Attorney, JFP & Asociados
  • Canada: Dan Garrison, Assistant Director of Housing Policy & Regulation, Vancouver
  • Moderator: George McCarthy, President and CEO, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

4:05-4:15PM:  Break & Transition

4:15-5:00PM:  Peer-to-Peer Breakout Time (with international guests)

This session is set-aside for conference participants and speakers to engage in direct conversation on issues that emerged throughout the day.

5:00-6:30PM:  Reception for Conference Participants and Speakers

7:00-8:30PM:  Dinner for US Housing Commissioners (closed-door; HCHF Commissioners, only)

Day Two, April 9th

8:00-9:00AM:  Breakfast for HCHF Commissioners (closed-door; HCHF Commissioners, only)*

9:00-10:15AM:  Panel 3—Housing Finance Innovation

Financing affordable housing is incredibly complex, due both to the scope of the problem and to the mixing and matching of public and private financial support. This panel will explore innovative financing mechanisms used in several countries to spur the development of affordable housing.

  • Brazil: Paulo Sandroni, Getulio Vargas Foundation
  • UK: James Clark, Head of Housing Strategy, Greater London Authority
  • US: David Smith, Founder & CEO, Affordable Housing Institute
  • Moderator: Richard Gerwitz, Co-Head of Citi Community Capital, Citi

10:15-2:00PM:  Boston Development Site Visits (transportation will be provided; includes lunch)

Conference participants will have the opportunity to visit two of Boston’s most innovative developments and hear from key partners involved in the projects.

The first stop will be The Beverly, Boston’s first 100 percent income-restricted development in 25 years. This 14-story apartment complex, located in downtown Boston, has set every one of its 249 units at rents below market rates. The project is composed entirely of “workforce housing,” reserved for households with incomes between 30 percent of area median income and 165 percent of area median income.

At the second stop, participants will learn about the Charlestown Redevelopment, which will include the construction of 2,699 mixed income units with retail and community spaces on 26 acres. The project will transform the site into a vibrant mixed income community that will include the replacement of more than 1,000 units of public housing. Leggat McCall, in partnership with Corcoran Jenison, is working with the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) and the Charlestown Residents Association (CRA) to ensure alignment of all parties’ interests to complete the project as quickly and efficiently as possible while minimizing tenant disruption.

2:00-2:30PM:  Conference Wrap Up & Closing

 

*Note: a separate breakfast will be provided for other conference guests.