The agenda for our 2006 event is presented here.
Watch this space for our 2008 agenda, once it's compiled.
8:00-9:00
a.m.
Registration, coffee/pastries
9:00-10:30
a.m.
Opening session
Welcome
Sarah Carpenter, Executive Director, Vermont Housing Finance Agency; and Jim Condos, City Council Chair, South Burlington
Speaker bios ...
Keynote address
Juan Williams, National Public Radio correspondent
10:30-10:45
a.m.
Break
10:45 a.m.-noon
Morning concurrent sessions
Housing 101
The basics of affordable housing development in Vermont, including a discussion of how Vermont's housing delivery system works.
Homelessness
Estimates of Vermont's homeless population have hovered around 4,000 for several years, and one-in-four of those are children. Many homeless Vermonters are in working families. What are we doing to address this situation, and what else could we be doing?
Local Organizing
Across the state, community groups and local governments are organizing to support affordable housing development. Here's what's going on, from the perspective of the people doing that organizing.
Housing & Health I (Overview)
A wide-ranging discussion of how issues of health and affordable housing complement one another, and a preview of afternoon workshops on sprawl, air quality and green building.
Supportive/Transitional Housing I (Overview)
An introduction to the day-long discussion of how we can best provide housing for Vermonters who have particular challenges finding it.
Partnerships Among For-Profits and Non-Profits
How can non-profits and for-profits work together more effectively to promote housing development? This workshop covers some successful efforts at bringing the resources, skills and expertise of both worlds together.
Noon-1:15
p.m.
Lunch
Lunchtime speaker
Taylor Caswell, New England Regional Director, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
1:15-2:00
p.m.
Early afternoon concurrent sessions
Federal Housing Policy
A discussion of existing housing policy and about prospects for housing legislation after the new Congress takes over in 2007.
Septic Regulations
Addressing Vermont's large and unmet needs in terms of wastewater management is crucial to any discussion about housing development and overall growth. This workshop will look at the challenges ahead, Vermont's regulations, and successful models for creating capacity.
Employer-Assisted Housing
A new tool to help make housing more affordable is an employer housing benefit. This is an idea that is beginning to become accepted in Vermont; come learn how and why.
Housing & Health II (Sprawl)
This workshop will explore the relationship between sprawling settlement patterns and public health/quality of life in Vermont communities.
Supportive/Transitional Housing II (Corrections)
What are the challenges facing Vermonters who are leaving the corrections system and need housing, and how can we best overcome them?
Market Analyses
Understanding the dynamics of your local housing market is key to understanding and addressing local housing needs. In this workshop, a professional housing market analyst will introduce basic methods we can use to gain more insight into the barriers and opportunities for affordable housing in our local areas.
2:00-2:15
p.m.
Break
2:15-3:00
p.m.
Mid-afternoon concurrent sessions
State Housing Policy
A review of recent legislative activities and their impact on housing development, a look at what to expect from the new Legislature and the administration next year, and a discussion of housing issues that should be on the table in January.
Density & Design
We know density is key to affordability in housing development. How do we get communities to recognize the need for density, and how do we design housing to be both attractive and efficient in use of available land?
Housing & Medicaid Waivers
What does Medicaid have to do with housing? Your residents now have another option if they need long-term care and are eligible for Medicaid: they are entitled to stay at home. We'll discuss this recent change, what your residents should know, and how this choice might affect your operations.
Housing & Health III (Air Quality Standards)
Ensuring good air quality in multifamily buildings is essential. Experts will discuss ways to mitigate the factors that can aggravate asthma and other air-quality-related illnesses.
Supportive/Transitional Housing III (Domestic Violence)
Women fleeing domestic violence often face obstacles to finding safe, affordable housing. This workshop will focus on how to overcome those obstacles and the need for sustainable housing options, such as transitional housing, as an important step to achieving safety and economic self-sufficiency.
Stimulating Single-Family Development
How can we encourage the production of more affordable single-family housing? What policy changes do we need to make, and how do we work with communities?
3:00-3:15
p.m.
Break
3:15-4:00
p.m.
Late afternoon concurrent sessions
Preservation & Tax Credit Projects
How do we best assure continued affordability at tax credit properties at Year 15 and beyond?
Accessory Apartments
Discussion of changes in Chapter 117 that encourage development of accessory apartments and a look at how communities around the state are taking steps to promote an increase in this part of the housing supply.
Mobile Homes & Manufactured Housing
A discussion of legislative issues, manufactured housing financing options and issues concerning mobile home parks, including possible new development and existing facilities.
Housing & Health IV (Developing Green Affordable Housing)
How can we build affordable housing that is healthy for residents and the environment? Learn how developers have made it happen with reasonable budgets and conventional materials.
Supportive/Transitional Housing IV (Mental Health)
A discussion of the various challenges and opportunities around developing transitional housing for Vermonters with psychiatric disabilities.
Inclusionary Zoning
Are inclusionary zoning regulations a tool for creating more housing or an impediment? We expect a spirited discussion about this approach to housing development.
