Public Housing Authorities Directors Association
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Education Session Descriptions
Commissioners as Powerful Advocates for the Housing Authority
Description:
Board members can be the most powerful advocates the housing authority has if they understand how and step up to the job. This session will show commissioners why, how, where, and when they should use their power to advocate for the housing authority in legislative issues, public relations and funding. This session will be facilitated by Dan Cain, nonprofit and housing authority board consultant.
Who should attend this session?: Commissioners
Speaker:
Dan Cain, Cain Consulting Group
Date and Time:
Monday, January 11 – 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
The PHAS Rule Part 1 & 2
Description:
In this two-part session, speaker will give the audience an update on the Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) rule, the changes, and how they impact housing agency operations. Some of the issues that will be covered include changes in the financial condition and the management assessment indicators, and how HUD will transition management operations scores. There will be in-depth coverage of the management assessment proposed subindicators, focusing on strategic day-to-day management of the project. The use of HUD’s new excel PHAS tool as a problem-solving and planning tool will be demonstrated.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Cara Gillette, Nan McKay and Associates
Date and Time:
Part 1: Monday, January 11 – 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Part 2: Monday, January 11 – 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Managing the Risk of Serving on the Board
Description:
In this age of Sarbanes-Oxley, there’s more risk than ever in serving on a housing authority board, but it’s very manageable. In this session commissioners will learn how to manage that risk by knowing the job and doing it carefully. Dan Cain, nonprofit and housing authority board consultant will describe where boards often get into trouble and how to avoid it.
Who should attend this session?: Commissioners
Speaker:
Dan Cain, Cain Consulting Group
Date and Time:
Monday, January 11 – 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Meetings That Work
Description:
There’s an art to holding productive board and committee meetings. In this session, Dan Cain, nonprofit and housing authority board consultant will offer new ideas for preparing for meetings, increasing meeting attendance, keeping good minutes, arranging the meeting room, basic parliamentary procedures, utilizing technology, controlling conflict, and much more.
Who should attend this session?: Commissioners
Speaker:
Dan Cain, Cain Consulting Group
Date and Time:
Monday, January 11 – 2:45 pm - 4:15 pm
Using Purchase Power Agreements (PPA) for Public Housing
Description:
With a PPA, Housing Authorities can reap all the advantages of going solar while conserving precious capital for other needs and opportunities. Promoted by HUD, a PPA is a long term agreement to buy power from a separate company that finances and owns the solar system and then sells the electricity that is generated back to the Housing Authority. And since the PPA partner is purchasing, operating and maintaining the solar system, the risk of ownership is assumed by them. During this session we'll explore how HAs can benefit from these agreements and hear from HUD on the eligibility for Federal & State tax incentives/ grants, and other revenue opportunities through the Rate Incentive Program and the sale of environmental credits.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speakers:
William T. Guiney, Johnson Controls
Mary P. Fox, Johnson Controls
Terrance Brady, Tampa Housing Authority
Date and Time:
Monday, January 11 – 2:45 pm - 4:15 pm
Safe Easy and Important
Description:
The seminar will cover the importance of filling out the 2010 Census Questionnaire.
The importance of accurate data when it comes to community funding.
How the 2010 Census Questionnaire arrives and where you can get assistance in filling it out if needed.
References to how Title 13, U.S. Code safeguards all personal data received.
Question & Answers on the Importance of the 2010 Census Questionnaire.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Jose (Joe) Capitao, Partnership Specialist, US Department of Commerce,
US Census Bureau,
New York Regional Census Center
Date and Time:
Monday, January 11 – 2:45 pm - 4:15 pm
The Americans with Disabilities Act: Changes to the Definition of "Disability"
Description:
Beginning January 1, 2009, the ADA has an expanded definition of disability.
The ADA Amendments Act made a number of changes to the definition of disability to ensure broader coverage for people with many kinds of impairments. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is developing regulations to implement these changes and provide additional clarification.
This session will review the proposed regulations and their impact on many kinds of impairments. The session will emphasize what these changes mean to employers and compliance with ADA requirements, especially the reasonable accommodation obligation.
Who should attend this session?: All Conference Attendees
Speaker:
Sharon Rennert, Senior Attorney Advisor, Americans with Disabilities Act Division, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Date and Time:
Tuesday, January 12 – 8:30 am - 10:00 am
The Income and Rent Determination Final Rule
Description:
Among other things, this important final rule revises HUD’s public and assisted housing program regulations to implement the upfront income verification process for program participants and requires HAs to use HUD’s Enterprise Income Verification system. The rule’s implementation had been previously delayed for several reasons including the fact that commenters wanted more clarification on issues such as the definition of income and how HAs should treat participants who might not be able to provide certain information (i.e. Social Security numbers). The rule is scheduled to go into effect in early 2010. Officials from HUD’s Washington office will be on hand to cover procedures and other requirements included in the rule.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Nicole Faison, Director, Office of Public Housing Programs, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Date and Time:
Tuesday, January 12 – 8:30 am - 10:00 am
Financing Options in Today’s World for Public Housing Authorities
Description:
Public Housing Authorities are facing the same hurdles that other property developers and owners are facing in this current economic environment – lack of commercial bank and other conventional financing alternatives. On top of that, the world of tax credit investments for affordable housing has seen a drain of potential investors which has resulted in the plummeting of tax credit prices and numerous deals simply not finding an interested tax credit investor. Public Housing Authorities still have various financing options available to them. This session will discuss a number of these options which include:
- How to structure transactions to take advantage of historically low tax-exempt and taxable bond interest rates;
- The advantages and disadvantages of Build America Bonds (BABs);
- Options available for the monetization of future replacement housing and capital funds;
- Utilizing project based Section 8 vouchers in combination with debt programs;
- Tax credit investor hot buttons; and
- Availability and utilization of ARRA funds (Tax Credit Exchange and Tax Credit Assistance Program)
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Tracy W. Peters, Managing Director, Red Capital Group
Date and Time:
Tuesday, January 12 – 10:15 am - 11:45 am
What is Ethical Behavior for a Board of Commissioners? Does it Differ for a Board of Directors (Non-Profit)?
Description:
This session will address: Why do we have a few board members (and executive directors) getting into various types of difficulty causing them to resign their positions, being sued, paying damages and sometimes even going to prison? If we have difficulty distinguishing right and wrong in the regulatory climate of a PHA, what is going to take place when we are turned loose in the nonprofits? The major focus will be on ethics for boards of commissioners and boards of directors.
Who should attend this session?: Commissioners
Speaker:
Leo Dauwer, Management Consultant to PHA Boards and Executive Directors
Date and Time:
Tuesday, January 12 – 10:15 am - 11:45 am
GASB 43 & 45 – Do you offer retiree medical, dental and/or life insurance? Has GASB got a surprise for you!
Description:
This presentation is designed to provide an overview of two recent pronouncements from the Governmental Accounting Standard Board (“GASB”). If your Authority provides medical, dental, life or other than pension benefits to your retirees and you issue GAAP financial statements, you are now required to account for the future costs of these plans. This is NOT meant to be an accounting seminar. Rather, this is designed to explain the requirements under the standards, what they mean, how to comply, costs, interaction with rating agencies and the impact on your organization.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Parker E. Elmore, Primoris Benefit Advisors, Inc.
Date and Time:
Tuesday, January 12 – 10:15 am - 11:45 am
How Housing Agencies are Faring in Court: Lessons Learned From Recent Decisions
Description:
Come and hear a nationwide review of important judicial decisions affecting the public housing industry recently handed down in the past six months. Find out the "lessons learned" from these cases. Learn what legal issues are "hot" and how public housing and redevelopment agencies are faring in this litigious climate.
Who should attend this session?: All Conference Attendees
Speaker:
Lisa L. Walker, Executive Director and General Counsel, Housing and Development Law Institute
Date and Time:
Tuesday, January 12 – 1:45 pm - 3:15 pm
Commissioners Roundtable Discussion
Description:
This session will permit commissioner participants to engage in discussions with other participants and the instructor. The focus of the discussions will be upon realistic and actual case studies which have occurred in our industry. (Some, you won’t believe!!) Participants will be asked to reflect upon and respond to the case studies from a commissioner’s or board point of view. This is a learning experience for new and veteran commissioners.
Who should attend this session?: Commissioners
Speaker:
Leo Dauwer, Management Consultant to PHA Boards and Executive Directors
Date and Time:
Tuesday, January 12 – 1:45 pm - 3:15 pm
Shining a Light on PHA Development Opportunities
Description:
Yes, that's right, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and no, it's not a freight train! Public Housing Authorities are shining the light on development opportunities. Attend this session and hear from your Public Housing colleagues who have successfully developed projects and created new partnerships never explored in the past. With your Q & A, the session will explore how those new partnerships helped to address local community needs. The panel is further enhanced with LISC Housing Resource Center participation to share their role to provide PHA Technical Assistance, including a new focus on the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP); and Fannie Mae which actively lends to Public Entities right now and how Fannie Mae’s new REO sales initiative First Look can assist your PHA to acquire Fannie Mae REO properties in your community.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speakers:
Lisa Tarter, Sr. Business Developer, Fannie Mae
Reema Ruberg, Director of Administration, CFO, Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority
Mary Paumen, Senior Program Director, LISC
Date and Time:
Tuesday, January 12 – 3:15 pm - 4:45 pm
Forming Effective Consortiums
Description:
Want to partner with other housing authorities to increase efficiency and share resources? Learn about the benefits and challenges of forming a consortium. This session will review HUD regulatory guidance and go through the process of forming a consortium. Examples of various consortiums will be discussed. Sample agreements and other related documents will be available.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Barbara Bozon, C.P.A., Executive Director, Central Texas Housing Consortium
Date and Time:
Tuesday, January 12 – 3:15 pm - 4:45 pm
Housing Choice Vouchers – The Outlook for 2010
Description:
The recession and other factors played havoc with HA budgets in 2009. Many assisted families experienced reductions or loss of income, and attrition dropped precipitously, meaning HAs could not absorb reductions through normal turnover. In this session, HUD headquarters staff will provide an overview of the 2010 funding situation and advise HAs of steps they can take to best prepare for the new year.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Michael Dennis, Director, Housing Voucher Programs, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Date and Time:
Wednesday, January 13 – 8:00 am - 9:30 am
CNA & PNA -- Letters of the Alphabet all HAs Need to Know
Description:
Two very important efforts are now underway to better address the need for physical improvements in public housing.
The ARRA requires that HUD develop a physical needs assessment (PNA) in consultation with housing authorities and industry groups. Although HAs have used PNAs in the past, Congress and the Department felt that there was a need to update the system as HAs have become increasingly active in using more sophisticated financing tools to modernize and develop public housing. Also, the transition to asset management emphasized the need for projects to be more self sufficient, further highlighting the need for a more expansive PNA developed through strategic planning. HUD says that, when it's complete, the PNA will provide HAs with an enhanced strategic planning tool and provide more data to the Department on a macro level. HUD has posted PNA preliminary guidance for HAs at: http://www.hud.gov/utilities/intercept.cfm?/offices/pih/programs/ph/capfund/occur/rcryact-faq3.pdf
At the same time, the Department and its contractor, Abt Associates, are in the midst of a new capital needs assessment (CNA) study Congress requested in 2008. The CNA is the first look in over a decade to determine the public housing portfolio’s capital needs and see how they compare to the 1998 determination that more than $20 billion was needed simply to bring the program up to a standard of full repair. PHADA staff and members are serving on a CNA advisory group to HUD and Abt. It goes without saying that the results of this study will have important funding implications for all HAs.
A panel consisting of HUD PIH official Kevin Gallagher, PHADA Vice President-Housing Tony O'Leary (Akron, OH), and former PHADA President and CNA advisory board member Rick Parker (Athens, GA) will discuss these two important initiatives. An overview of the CNA will be presented. In addition, panelists will discuss the PNA's importance in the context of the agency's overall strategic planning process.Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speakers:
Kevin Gallagher, PIH Official, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Tony O'Leary, PHADA Vice President - Housing, Akron, OH
Rick Parker, Former PHADA President and CNA advisory board member. (Athens, GA)
Date and Time:
Wednesday, January 13 – 9:45 am - 11:15 am
Current Events in Housing
Description:
A popular favorite at PHADA meetings, association leaders and staff will conduct a panel discussion on the major pending issues of the day. Some of the expected topics include the latest news on the FY 2010 HUD appropriations bill and the soon-to-be-released 2011 HUD budget proposal. In addition, participants will cover the latest news on the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act including a possible expansion of the Moving to Work program and the legislation’s various rent simplifications.
Who should attend this session?: All Conference Attendees
Speakers:
PHADA Staff
Date and Time:
Wednesday, January 13 – 11:15 am - 12:30 pm
For more information, contact Stephanie White, PHADA Director of Meetings, at 202-546-5445.
