Harnessing Opportunity Zones 2.0 for Affordable and Workforce Housing
How the next phase of the federal Opportunity Zones program can steer more investment into affordable and workforce housing.
Program Preview · June 21–22, 2027 · Sheraton Dallas
Featured Sessions
From Housing Policy to Delivery
Register NowBrowse SessionsFrom national housing policy to homes on the ground
Housing authorities, cities, and states across the country are working to expand affordable, attainable, and workforce housing while costs, funding programs, and policy keep shifting. Getting homes built takes more than capital. It takes alignment among public agencies, developers, capital providers, and nonprofit partners from the very start.
The U.S. Housing & Community Development Conference brings those leaders together in Dallas to work through the decisions in the open, with case studies from active projects and candid conversations about what is working and what is not.
Five Program Themes
Select a theme to jump to its sessions. The 2027 agenda is taking shape, and more sessions will be added to every theme.
01Finance and Capital
How tax credits, bonds, capital markets, and new investment tools fund affordable and workforce housing.
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02Partnerships and PHA Development
How housing authorities, cities, and private partners structure deals and build development capacity.
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03Policy, Land, and Zoning
How legislation, zoning reform, and public land open the way for more housing production.
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04Design and Delivery
How smarter design, delivery strategy, and cost control get more homes built.
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05Homelessness and Communities
How communities move people from homelessness into housing and plan for inclusive growth.
View sessions →Browse the Sessions
01
Theme 01
Finance and Capital
How tax credits, bonds, capital markets, and new investment tools fund affordable and workforce housing.
Unlocking Debt Capital Markets: An Introductory Seminar for CDFIs, PHAs & Affordable Housing Developers
An introduction to the debt capital markets for organizations looking to diversify funding sources and scale their impact.
Essential Function Bonds in Action 2.0
How essential function bonds work in practice as a financing tool for affordable housing.
Scaling What Works: Pooled Investment Vehicles for Affordable and Attainable Housing
How pooled investment vehicles and public-private financing tools can scale affordable and attainable housing production.
Beyond Chatbots: AI That Transforms Affordable Housing Finance and Underwriting
Practical uses of AI in affordable housing finance and underwriting that go beyond another chatbot.
Beyond LIHTC: Innovative Financing Strategies to Expand Affordable Housing
Financing programs emerging alongside tax credits as housing needs outpace traditional funding.
A Guide to Credit Ratings for Public Housing and CDFIs
What credit ratings mean for housing authorities and CDFIs, and how to prepare for the process.
Beyond Grant Funding: Leveraging Catalytic Capital in the Capital Markets
How CDFIs, developers, and housing authorities use catalytic capital to reach scalable, sustainable funding.
02
Theme 02
Partnerships and PHA Development
How housing authorities, cities, and private partners structure deals and build development capacity.
Financing the Future: Municipal and PHA Partnerships to Drive Housing Development
Housing authority leaders on combining municipal and PHA resources to accelerate affordable housing development.
Utilizing Creative Partnerships and Capital Stacks to Advance Critical Housing Development
How universities, health systems, cities, and major employers are partnering to deliver housing.
PHA Self-Development and Capacity Building: From Passive Partner to Active Developer
How housing authorities build the capacity to lead redevelopment instead of relying on outside developers.
Public-Private Partnerships: A Roadmap for Transforming Affordable Housing
Housing authorities and developers on the public-private partnerships that transformed their communities.
Becoming a Better Co-Development Partner: Maintaining Control While Protecting the PHA's Interests
How housing authorities define roles, authority, and risk so co-development works in their favor.
03
Theme 03
Policy, Land, and Zoning
How legislation, zoning reform, and public land open the way for more housing production.
Navigating the Shifting Landscape: Housing Policy, Market Dynamics, and Collaborative Solutions
A main-stage panel on the policy and market forces reshaping housing and community development.
Deep in the Heart: Housing Wins at the Texas Legislature
Inside the housing reforms Texas passed during its 2025 legislative session.
Making the Most of Under-Utilized Public Land: A Conversation
How public entities are putting vacant and under-used land to work for housing and economic development.
From Discretion to Defensibility: By-Right Housing Approvals and Zoning Reform
What states and cities are learning as they move to by-right approvals and limit discretionary review.
How Cities Can Use Localized Housing Shortage Measures to Guide Investment in Production: A Philadelphia Case Study
How data shaped Philadelphia's $2 billion, 30,000-unit housing plan.
Is a Community Land Trust the Right Tool for You? Building CLTs That Work!
When community land trusts make sense, and how to build ones that last.
04
Theme 04
Design and Delivery
How smarter design, delivery strategy, and cost control get more homes built.
Building Value, Not Just Units: Smarter Delivery for Affordable Housing
Why delivery strategy matters as much as the capital stack when per-unit costs run high.
Building Through the Storm: Bold Strategies to Deliver Workforce & Affordable Housing in a High-Cost Era
Strategies for keeping workforce and affordable projects moving as construction costs climb.
Design That Delivers: A Developer's Toolkit
How design drives project feasibility, community impact, and long-term performance.
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD): Trends and Opportunities
Emerging opportunities and market dynamics in housing near transit.
05
Theme 05
Homelessness and Communities
How communities move people from homelessness into housing and plan for inclusive growth.
Lessons Learned in Replicating Homelessness Solutions
What large campus models are teaching communities about effective homelessness solutions.
From Encampment to Housing Through Flexible Funding: A Strategic Approach to Addressing Homelessness
How flexible funding helps communities move people from encampments into housing.
Reaching Functional Zero: Strategies for Ending Unsheltered Homelessness at the Local Level
Local strategies for ending unsheltered homelessness.
Aligning Growth and Housing: Delivering Inclusive Communities in Complex Markets
How fast-growing border cities like Brownsville are balancing economic growth and housing.
The Housing Trifecta: Partnerships, Policy, and Engagement
How partnerships, policy, and community engagement come together on local housing challenges.
Be part of the conversation
Join housing and community development leaders in Dallas, June 21–22, 2027.
Register NowSchedule of EventsThis is an early look at the program, based on the 2026 conference. Sessions, speakers, and times are subject to change.
