Public agency representatives from across the country join us for interactive roundtable conversations. Each discussion will last 20 minutes, allowing participants to attend two different roundtables during this block.
Presenters will be focusing on specific housing challenges and opportunities, showcasing active and future programs and projects, seeking input on upcoming proposals, and sharing recent lessons learned.
Table 1: Bernalillo County, New Mexico
New Mexico’s most populous county, Bernalillo County, encompasses the state’s largest municipality, the City of Albuquerque. The two local governments are using their respective legislative powers to enact compatible housing legislation and to build joint power entities to support affordable housing initiatives beyond traditional voucher-based local housing authorities. Critical to the collaboration is the ability to access state legislative support, especially funding streams. This roundtable will focus on effective advocacy for local governments trying to enact legislation or to obtain appropriations in support of affordable housing efforts. The discussion will address local-state government relations from both local government and state legislative perspectives.
Table 2: Wake County, North Carolina
We are looking to partner our way out of the housing crisis in Wake County, North Carolina. Since 2019, we have steadily increased the tools in our affordable housing toolkit. A key component is our award-winning Landlord Engagement Unit (2023 NACo Best in Category Award) which matches available properties with prospective tenants through a team of relationship building specialists and an innovative data app. Housing Consultants work with landlord and property management partners to understand rental criteria for available properties, and Housing Lead Specialist work with non-profit service agencies to understand client needs. Combined in a Microsoft Power App with Power Bi visualization, the Lease2Home tool matches data elements to reduces instances of housing discrimination, increases equity, and immediately fill vacancies. We are excited to share how bringing together the fields of housing and homelessness, through incentives and leveraged technology has revolutionized our ability to house residents.
Table 3: Bellevue, Washington
Permanent Supportive Housing in Bellevue, Washington: In 2020, Washington authorized local governments to collect a 0.1% sales & use tax for the construction, acquisition, and operations and maintenance of permanent supportive housing. Funds may also be used for the provision of housing-related supportive services. While funding focuses on increasing the supply of housing at 30% of the Area Median Income, funds can also be used for up to 60% of the Area Median Income. As one of the first cities to participate in the collection, the City of Bellevue launched its Housing Stability Program (HSP) in 2021. Funds are administered by both the Community Development Department (for capital and operations and maintenance) and the Parks and Community Services Department (for housing-related supportive services). The HSP has so far allocated almost $25 million to projects and service providers throughout the City of Bellevue.
Table 4: City of High Point, North Carolina
High Point has traditionally addressed housing affordability by providing developers with funding through federal block grants to subsidize development. As these entitlements decrease and development gaps widen, we've utilized the Section 108 Loan Guarantee program to leverage federal dollars effectively. Despite these efforts, the transition from affordable rentals to homeownership is stagnant, and homeowners are not moving into larger homes. This creates a significant gap in our housing continuum, making it difficult for the unhoused to find decent, safe, and sanitary housing. To manage homeless encampments, we've adopted a "soft touch" approach via local code enforcement, focusing on property cleanup and connecting individuals to resources, rather than criminalization. This strategy helps address public complaints and reduces nuisances. Additionally, High Point is trialing a signage program at busy intersections to curb panhandling and enhance public safety.
Table 5: Berkeley, California
This roundtable discussion is designed to initiate dialogue and lay the groundwork for negotiations, focusing on development strategies in the Bay Area. A key case study is the North Berkeley BART Transit-Oriented Development Project. This collaborative effort involves BART, the City of Berkeley, and NBHP and will result in a master-planned community of 738 units across six buildings. Each building will be financed, owned, and constructed independently by different member organizations. The project is divided into two phases: Phase 1 includes three affordable housing buildings, and Phase 2 consists of two market-rate buildings. These efforts are aimed at providing permanent supportive housing and enhancing competitiveness for State funding.
Table 6: City of Memphis, Tennessee
We will discuss housing challenges and how those challenges have affected our programs, developing a positive rapport with housing developers to develop safe, quality, affordable housing, and how can we effectively address the affordable housing shortage. This will be an interactive roundtable as we invite participants to discuss developing safe, quality, affordable housing strategies that are working in your City. As what works for one City just may work in another City with a bit of “customization” to fit that particular City and be used as a Best Practice Model. 
Table 7: Gwinnett County, Georgia
The Gwinnett County Housing and Community Development Division is set to lead a discussion on our critical housing issues, showcase our efforts to combat local housing issues, learn from other housing leaders, and potentially forge new partnerships. The roundtable will cover our Affordable Housing Development Fund, our participation in the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH) through the University of Georgia, recent changes to the County’s Unified Development Ordinance, and how we leverage HUD funding to address our affordable housing challenges with our community partners. 
Table 8: City of Milpitas, California
Join us for an insightful roundtable featuring the City of Milpitas' Housing Division and Planning Department. We will review the city's proactive measures to address housing affordability and community development. We will discuss the City's Rent Relief Program and Workforce Housing Rental Assistance Program, highlighting their impact on alleviating housing cost burdens for residents. We will also provide an in-depth look at Housing Opportunity Districts (HODs), the implementation of Objective Design Standards (ODS), and the Milpitas Gateway Plan. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how these initiatives collectively foster sustainable growth, enhance housing accessibility, and improve urban design in Milpitas. Engage with city officials and peers as we explore innovative approaches and best practices for developing resilient, inclusive communities. 
Table 9: Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
With over 6,000 units of public housing, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles is the largest provider of deeply affordable housing in the City of Los Angeles, one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. To help address the shortage of affordable housing, HACLA is currently engaged in an effort to reposition a large part of its public housing units, not only to modernize its aging portfolio, but to increase density and contribute to the ever-growing need of affordable housing. Doing so, however, comes with a number of challenges, including increased construction costs, a difficult regulatory environment, both at the state and local level, and diminished financial resources. We explore the challenges of reposition public housing projects, from the use of different financing structures using HUD’s RAD, Section 18, local and state financing to the importance of community engagement and resident participation.
Table 10: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
HUD’s Fort Worth Field Office Director and Public Housing Director will host participants in an interactive roundtable discussion targeting three areas: 1) suggestions for improvement to HUD’s programs; 2) ideas for innovation and best practices; and 3) where applicable to HUD funds and programs, methods for enhancing community-based and broad collaborative efforts.
