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Making Connections with NCSHA’s Housing Credit Connect and Annual Conference

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The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) hosted its Housing Credit Connect conference in Atlanta from June 10-13, 2024, where the industry gathered to discuss key challenges and opportunities within affordable housing. The discussions ranged from legislative updates to new innovations within housing credit allocation and compliance. As NCSHA’s Annual Conference approaches, scheduled for September 28 – October 1, 2024, in Phoenix, several of these critical topics will be revisited, offering attendees a chance to delve deeper into the issues that continue to shape the industry.

Key Topics from Housing Credit Connect and Their Continuation in Phoenix

Compliance Challenges and Strategies

Compliance with federal and state regulations remains a persistent challenge for housing agencies and developers. In Atlanta, experts discussed new compliance trends and shared strategies for staying ahead of regulatory changes, particularly in an era of increased scrutiny and tighter budgets. The Phoenix conference will revisit these topics, providing updated insights into best practices for compliance, including the use of new technologies to streamline reporting and monitoring processes.

During the session “Keeping Up with Multifamily Compliance Through Technology and Training”, taking place on Monday, September 30th, ProLink Solutions’ own Ryan Kim, VP of Professional Services, will join the panel in continuing the discussion around regulatory updates around the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) and National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE).

Innovative Financing and Development Strategies

Innovative financing mechanisms were a major focus in Atlanta, with sessions highlighting new approaches to leveraging private and public funds to support affordable housing development. In Phoenix, these discussions will continue, emphasizing the importance of creative financing in expanding the reach of housing credit programs. Topics range empowering women within housing finance to the process of leveraging state and local partnerships to locate more funding.

Sustainability and Green Building

Environmental sustainability in affordable housing was a key theme at Housing Credit Connect, with sessions exploring how green building practices can be integrated into housing credit projects. During Housing Credit Connect, Wendy Smith, Deputy Executive Director at Kentucky Housing Corporation, was joined by panelists during a session titled “Leveraging Energy Incentives in Affordable Housing” to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and its impact on energy efficiency and resiliency measures.

The upcoming Annual Conference will expand on these discussions, focusing on the long-term benefits of sustainable development practices and how they can be incentivized through housing credit programs. The conference will also explore the intersection of sustainability with equity, ensuring that environmentally friendly housing solutions are accessible to all income levels. Topics will be covered ranging from energy and water conservation to energy efficiency and resilience in affordable housing.

Data and Analytics in Housing

The role of data and analytics in improving housing outcomes was another critical topic in Atlanta. During Housing Credit Connect in Atlanta, Bettie Teasley, the Manager of Policy and Research at the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, presented a session titled “Maximizing Outcomes with Data-Driven Policies”.

As housing agencies increasingly rely on data-driven decision-making, the Phoenix conference will continue to highlight how data can be used to optimize housing credit allocations, monitor program effectiveness, and ensure compliance. Sessions pertaining to this topic include “Bringing Data to Life: The Faces of Affordable Housing” and “The Horizon for Data and Analytics: Vision Setting and New Tools”.

 

For ProLink Solutions and other members within the affordable housing sector, these events are invaluable opportunities to stay informed, network with peers, and contribute to the dialogue shaping the future of housing policy and practice. By engaging with these recurring themes, attendees can expect to leave Phoenix with actionable insights and strategies that will help them navigate the complex terrain of affordable housing in the years to come​.

Industry Updates from Housing Credit Connect

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The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA)’s Housing Credit Connect is a chance for Housing Credit professionals from across the nation to network and participate in industry education provided by numerous affordable housing experts.

ProLink Solutions is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor for this year’s conference. Below are some highlights from this year’s event.

 

Keeping up with Compliance Technology

This session featured a panel which was hosted by Wendy Quakenbush, the Director of Multifamily Compliance at the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

Ryan Kim, VP of Professional Services at ProLink, was featured as a guest panelist for the session and was joined by Alex Melikan, Director of Investment Management at MRI Software/TCAM, and Mary Beth Snyder, Resident Screening Industry Principal at Yardi.

The panelists spoke of recent updates in affordable housing space including the Average Income Test (AIT) ruling, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act (HOTMA) income and asset rules, and the NSPIRE inspection protocol, which was also published by HUD. During Ryan’s demonstration of the Procorem Tenant Portal’s recent enhancements made to support Average Income, Wendy Quakenbush commented, “our system for handling AIT is nowhere near as good as ProLink’s.”

The panelists also discussed the importance of incorporating artificial intelligence into business intelligence methods such as dashboards and analytics, which help streamline asset management in affordable housing.

 

Ryan Kim speaks about HOTMA during the Keeping Up with Compliance Technology panel at NCSHA’s Housing Credit Connect.

 

Application of the NSPIRE Protocol in Housing Credit Inspections

NCSHA also hosted a panel dedicated solely to the topic of NSPIRE, which is a hot button issue in affordable housing as of late. Panelists discussed NSPIRE, new scoring procedures, practical aspects of implementing the new standard, and common challenges properties typically encounter, as well as coordination with HUD’s physical inspection alignment initiative.

Issues discussed during the panel included how 25% of findings are related to solely smoke detectors, that landlords are often hearing the new standards are complicated and expensive, and how common on-site struggles tend to come from a lack of staff understanding on NSPIRE.

 

Conclusion

Overall, the conference highlighted the dynamic changes and ongoing challenges within the affordable housing industry, emphasizing the importance of technological advancements and continuous education. ProLink Solutions remains committed to supporting the industry through innovative solutions and active participation in pivotal discussions, demonstrating a dedication to advancing affordable housing compliance and management. We are proud to sponsor NCSHA and are looking forward to next year’s event.

Navigating Market Conditions in 2024

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In 2024, navigating the real estate market has become a formidable challenge. With interest rates soaring, traditional market-rate housing deals are stalling, leaving developers, investors, and bankers/lenders looking for viable alternatives. For market-rate housing, this translates into higher mortgage rates for buyers, decreased purchasing power, and an overall cooling of demand. For developers, the increased cost of financing projects means tighter profit margins and greater financial risk. As a result, many market-rate projects are being shelved or scaled back due to unfavorable economic conditions.

This shift in the market dynamics is increasingly steering attention toward affordable housing projects, which, despite their complexities, offer unique opportunities in the current economic climate. Many of these new affordable housing opportunities are possible through promising new affordable housing programs under consideration by the federal government

Legislative Proposals

The Housing Supply Fund Act was introduced by Senator Sherrod Brown to propose creating a fund to help community development financial institutions and nonprofit housing organizations expand affordable housing options, including converting commercial properties into affordable. Meanwhile the Affordable Housing Preservation and Protection Act would provide HUD with the authority to offer loans for renovating distressed HUD-assisted housing, ensuring these properties remain affordable and are improved.

Tax Credits and Assistance Programs play a crucial role in reducing the burden on affordable housing development. They help offset the costs associated with these projects, making them financially viable for developers and attractive for investors. Here are some of the options that are available:

  • Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC): The administration seeks to expand LIHTC to build or preserve 1.2 million more affordable rental units.
  • Neighborhood Homes Tax Credit: A new proposal aims to support the building or renovation of affordable homes in underserved neighborhoods.
  • Down Payment Assistance: Proposals include up to $25,000 for first-generation homebuyers, which would help about 400,000 families.

These incentives make affordable housing projects significantly more attractive to both lenders and developers. The financial benefits provided by programs such as LIHTC and various federal and state grants can effectively reduce the overall costs and risks associated with affordable housing development. By lowering the debt burden and providing more predictable returns, these programs mitigate the impact of high interest rates. Consequently, lenders are more willing to finance affordable housing projects, seeing them as lower-risk investments with guaranteed government support.

Similarly, developers are incentivized to pursue affordable housing deals, where subsidies and tax credits improve profitability and project feasibility, compared to the uncertain and costlier market-rate housing ventures in a high-interest environment. This strategic shift not only helps developers and lenders maintain their business momentum but also contributes to addressing the ongoing affordable housing shortage.

Giving to Those in Need: Annual PATH Luncheon for St. Francis Center

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Last week, the St. Francis Center hosted its annual PATH luncheon fundraiser at the Temple Emanuel in Denver. The St. Francis Center is a Denver-based nonprofit whose aim is to provide a place of transformation to people in who face homelessness. The annual luncheon serves as a way to raise money for those in our society who are the most in need, and it is always wonderful to see so many people in support of the St. Francis Center’s mission.

Commencement

The program commenced with a speech from Tom Leuhr, the exiting Executive Director for St. Francis, who spoke on the challenges that many homeless people face in their day-to-day lives. Tom was also joined by several other guest speakers, including Andrew Spinks, the Chief Development Officer for St. Francis, Elisabeth Francis, the Director of Street Outreach, and Dr. Ed Farrell, MD, each of whom offered their own insights into the homeless problem and the extraordinary work of the St. Francis Center.

 

Dr. Ed Farrell describing the challenges that many on the street are facing

 

Each speaker helped illustrate how the center’s compassionate services had provided a lifeline for many individuals and families, fostering empowerment and offering a pathway to a brighter future.

The speakers offered powerful speeches that shed light on the extraordinary work of the St. Francis Center. Speakers shared stories of transformation, resilience, and hope, reminding everyone of the strength exhibited by those facing homelessness.

The luncheon was also an occasion to acknowledge the dedication and generosity of the many volunteers, donors, and supporters who have played a vital role in the success of the St. Francis Center.

Welcoming Nancy Burke to St. Francis

This event served as a passing of the torch from Tom Leuhr to Nancy Burke, the incoming Executive Director for St. Francis Center. Nancy brings with her more than 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector to St. Francis Center.

 

Nancy Burke speaks as the incoming Executive Director for St. Francis Center

 

By coming together, attendees were able to not only celebrate the center’s achievements, but also reasserted their mission to creating a city where every person in need has access to safe and stable housing. The event provided a powerful reminder that collective action can bring about transformative change. As a Marble Sponsor for this event, ProLink Solutions was more than happy to be a part.

 

ProLink team members with incoming Executive Director, Nancy Burke

 

About the St. Francis Center

St. Francis Center provides comprehensive services to people experiencing homelessness. The organization operates a variety of programs and services, including:

  • Day Center Services
  • Permanent supportive housing
  • Employment services and placement
  • Mental health and substance abuse treatment
  • Street outreach and safe outdoor spaces management

 

Please consider donating to the St. Francis Center if you are able to. You can learn more about how to donate to the center here.

 

Highlights from ProLink Technology Live 2022

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This year, ProLink Solutions held an all-virtual conference, ProLink Technology Live 2022. The conference featured a number of guest speakers from all areas of the affordable housing industry and was split into two separate tracks, one for ProLinkHFA (multi-family) and one for ProLink+ (single-family). In total, 20 affordable housing organizations were represented in the audience. Our speaker lineup consisted of 6 employees from ProLink Solutions, as well as 8 industry experts from various affordable housing organizations.

Keynote – Washington Update

We started the conference with a special keynote from Jennifer Schwartz, the Director of Tax and Housing Advocacy at the National Council of State and Housing Agencies (NCSHA). Jennifer provided an update on Washington, and also touched up on a variety of topics including:

  • FY 2023 HUD Budget Appropriations
  • IRS’ final ruling on Average Income Test (AIT) in October 2022
  • The IRS extending the Housing Credit Placed-In-Service and other deadlines at NCSHA’s request.

You can watch the session recording here.

Panel on 8823 Updates and Average Income Test

Kelly Encinias, the HFA Senior Product Manager at ProLink, was joined by several industry experts for a panel discussion on 8823 compliance and AIT final regulations released by IRS in October 2022. As part of this panel discussion, Virginia Housing’s Erica Etterling presented how the AIT final ruling is going to affect Virginia’s Average Income Guidance currently in place, including how property owners’ AIT reporting to the state is going to change.

You can watch the session recording here.

Procorem Use Cases Panel

Ryan Kim, VP of Sales & Marketing at ProLink, was joined by panelists representing different industry roles to discuss  a number of different Procorem use cases. Danny Escuder with Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) presented how the agency is utilizing Procorem to support the agency’s Multifamily Application submission process.

You can watch the session recording here.

In addition, we had six other software training sessions tailored to ProLinkHFA and ProLink+ products. You can access all session recordings here.

What to Expect from ProLink in the Coming Year

In 2023, ProLink plans to host a brand-new webinar series beginning in February. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date with the latest news from ProLink as well as news about the affordable housing industry.

 

 

Join Us for ProLink Technology Live 2022!

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We are excited to announce ProLink Technology Live 2022! Join us for our annual user conference on November 9 and 10. Registration is now open with additional details available on the registration site. This event is open to all public agencies nationwide. It’s a two-day virtual event with multiple tracks:

  • Track 1 – ProLinkHFA Multifamily is a 2-day track filled with software training as well as two panels featuring industry experts, one on 8823 updates and the Average Income Test and the other on Procorem use cases. Open to all public agencies.
  • Track 2 – ProLink+ HAF is a single day track (November 9) focused on Homeowner Assistance Fund implementation. Open to all public agencies. Learn how ProLink+ uses DocuSign and Amazon Quicksight to assist in the HAF application process.

On November 9 at 11AM Eastern, we will kick off the conference with a special keynote from Jennifer Schwartz, Director of Tax and Housing Advocacy with the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA), who will be providing affordable housing industry updates from Washington!

All session and speaker information can be found in the registration site.

The event is free. Check out the site and register today!

Loss Mitigation, a Hot Topic with the Treasury

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Most states have submitted their Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) plans to the U.S. Treasury in August. As of the publication of this blog, various states are engaged in active dialogues with the Treasury regarding their HAF plans. A hot topic of the discussions is the issue of integrating HAF into loss mitigation options that are already in place.

In a recent webinar hosted by the Urban Institute, panelist Stockton Williams, Executive Director of the National Council of State Housing Finance Agencies (NCSHA) explains, “Homeowner Assistance Fund really shouldn’t be seen as a stand-alone thing. It’s really a part of a suite of tools that are going to be available.” Williams was referring to loss mitigation options that are already available to homeowners who have mortgages with the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), or the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

William Corbett, Senior Advisor at the Treasury, concurs with Stockton’s view. William said, “You have much better and, in some cases, very streamlined federal loss mitigation options that are available to homeowners. That won’t work for every homeowner… There will be some homeowners who will be able to get success from that…and homeowners that might not be able to get success from that. That’s one area where housing counselors can assist.” You can find a recording of the webinar on the Urban Institute’s website here.

At the upcoming industry event, ProLink Technology Live 2021, ProLink Solutions is hosting a panel with industry experts to discuss the latest HAF implementation issues including loss mitigation. The event is free and is open to all public agencies.

All session and speaker information can be found in the registration site.

Check out the site and register today!

Announcing ProLink Technology Live 2021!

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ProLink Solutions is opening our annual user conference to all public agencies nationwide this year. Join ProLink Technology Live 2021 on November 9 and 10. It’s a two-day virtual event with multiple tracks:

  • Track 1 – ProLinkHFA Multifamily is a 2-day track filled with software training as well as an 8823 Compliance panel made up of industry experts. Open to all public agencies.
  • Track 2 – ProLink+ HAF is a single day track (November 9) focused on Homeowner Assistance Fund implementation. Open to all public agencies.
  • Track 3 – ProLinkAIM is a single day track (November 10) and open only to ProLinkAIM users in the LIHTC syndication and investment space.

On November 9 at 11AM Eastern, we will kick off the conference with a special keynote speaker Jennifer Schwartz, Director of Tax and Housing Advocacy with the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA), to provide affordable housing industry updates from Washington!

All session and speaker information can be found in the registration site.

The event is free. Check out the site and register today!

Tackling the Digital Divide in Urban and Rural Colorado

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Five percent of Colorado’s K-12 students lack access to affordable and reliable internet at home according to the study published by Colorado Futures Center (Access the full report here: https://www.coloradofuturescsu.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/colorado-remote-learning-impact-region-final.pdf). Housing Colorado, a non-profit organization in Colorado with a mission of promoting the preservation and production of quality affordable housing statewide, is hosting a webinar on September 21 to address the issue of the digital divide in urban and rural Colorado.

Ryan Kim, ProLink Solutions’ Director of Product Marketing, will be moderating the panel with two speakers, Jesse Burne with Denver Housing Authority and Josh Wehe with Jade Communications. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic began last year, many of us conduct our day-to-day business virtually and take our access to high-speed internet for granted. Imagine if you or your kids didn’t have access to internet. How would you effectively compete whether at work or at school?” says Ryan.

In the webinar, the panelists will share their success stories in filling the digital gap. Denver Housing Authority has run a program called ConnectHome Denver, which tackles the issue in the urban area by creating local partnerships encompassing government agencies and multiple Internet Service Providers (ISP). Jesse Burne, Strategic Initiatives Manager with the Housing Authority, will tell the story. Josh Wehe, Operations Director with Jade Communications, a smaller ISP in Southern Colorado, will provide a rural counterpart presentation. Jade Communications has assisted half a dozen school districts in low-income communities in the San Luis Valley region.

The webinar is scheduled for September 21 at 1 p.m. Mountain Time. Register here:
https://www.housingcolorado.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1548714&group=#