Innovations and Collaborations in Affordable Housing
October 3-5, 2008
Phoenix, AZ

We will be announcing confirmed panelists and speakers in the near future but wanted to share with you the short descriptions of the panels for the upcoming conference.  We will also be able to announce the list of informal participant led sessions within the next week, but there is space for more sessions if you would like to submit a proposal.

The registration page is up and running, and the sooner you register the better we will be able to plan for your participation.  You should also reserve a room before space fills up.  Be sure to use our space sharing site – it's a great way to cut down on both the cost and the environmental impact of attending the conference. 

Registration for the conference and information about reserving a hotel room as well as signing up for the spaceshare program are here.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Phoenix for a series of great interactions and as much opportunity to share experiences, strategies and knowledge as we can cram into several very full days.  Here are the short descriptions of the panel discussions to whet your appetite.

Mixed Income Developments
When HOPE VI began in the 1990s, mixed-income development was touted as a prime mechanism for increasing quality of life and social integration of low-income residents and revitalizing and rebuilding distressed neighborhoods.  With numerous mixed-income developments – HOPE VI as well as others in the housing market -- populating our cities, we can now ask whether our expectations have been met, for whom, and what factors bring about success.  In addressing this question, the panelists will present and reflect on their experiences and research pertaining to mixed-income housing in different parts of the country.  They will also offer ideas for improving our efforts in trying to achieve a just distribution of affordable housing. 

Design and Advocacy
Architects, planners, community organizers and others involved in affordable housing strive to improve people’s quality of life through good design.  But often in light of competing priorities, tight budgets and public resistance, we are often challenged to specify how design matters.  The speakers on this panel have all had inspiring successes advocating for better quality design in affordable housing. They will describe their successes, their strategies, and thoughts about what they were able to achieve and how they anticipate achieving more.

Sustainability in Affordable Housing
While knowledge of how to the evaluate materials according to their environmental impacts and design energy efficient building systems is now widespread and, to a degree, well utilized in contemporary building practices, it remains difficult to build both sustainably and affordably.   Considering the “three legs of sustainability” – environmental, social/cultural, and economic – the speakers in this panel give concrete examples of practices and developments for providing affordable and sustainable homes and communities.

Inclusive Design in Housing
As the country becomes more economically, socially, and culturally diverse, new ways for building housing to address this diversity has fostered new ideas and commitment as well as confusion and resentment.  Universal design and inclusive design are approaches to design that seek to ensure that mainstream products and environments are accessible to the largest number of people. Yet there still remain questions about the feasibility and appropriateness of inclusive design in light of special needs, costs, and federal regulations.  The members of this panel will present strategies for evaluating the effectiveness of design strategies that strive towards being inclusive vs. targeted as well as strategies for addressing Fair Housing regulations.