AHF LIVE: The 2005 Tax Credit Developers' Summit

2005 SESSION DETAILS (2006 SESSION DETAILS COMING SOON):

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE’S EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD ROUNDTABLE

Help shape a new agenda for housing. You are invited to look ahead at the future of affordable housing programs at a special roundtable discussion of Affordable Housing Finance’s Editorial Advisory Board. It’s the most candid, insightful discussion you will find on the key issues facing tax credit stakeholders. The board will focus on new ideas for producing more housing and improving the tax credit and HUD programs.

OPENING PLENARY SESSION

Find out how Congress will reshape federal housing and community development programs in response to proposals by the Bush administration and what will happen as the debate over tax reform heats up this fall. Will tax credits for housing and other purposes be curtailed or even eliminated? How will capital markets adapt? Most importantly, how are state and local housing agencies moving forward with private developers to provide housing despite the uncertain outlook for federal housing programs? The primary speaker will be Shaun Donovan, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and former Federal Housing Commissioner and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, followed by a Q&A session with a panel of experts.

LUNCHEON KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Hear an important new perspective on how to make more progress in meeting the nation's affordable housing needs. Former Milwaukee mayor and urban planning leader John Norquist will challenge conventional wisdom and present fresh ideas for producing more housing despite the ongoing decline in federal housing resources. Norquist is president and CEO of the Congress for the New Urbanism and the author of The Wealth of Cities.

DEAL REVIEW WORKSHOP

AHF Live 2005 will feature a unique forum for deal-specific problem-solving. Our panel of experts will offer attendees insights on their specific development proposals. Pre-selected developers will be invited to present their current development proposals for review, including the challenges that are standing in their way. Our panel will suggest ways to proceed and problem-solve. If you would like to submit a project for possible review by the panel, contact John Zipperer at (415) 315-1241, ext. 308, or john@housingfinance.com.

EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS

A two-day program of educational sessions will consist of moderated panel discussions on advanced topics with lots of Q&A time. On each topic, panel members will come from a variety of disciplines, including developers with fresh ideas and new approaches.

TRACK I: Using Resources Effectively

Bond Financing: Finding the right structuring options for your deal.
Panelists will compare and contrast how various bond programs would pencil out for the same hypothetical deal. You’ll get an honest appraisal of the pros and cons and costs of unrated private placements, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac credit enhancement and more.

Equity Forecast: The outlook for equity prices and terms.
Our panel will skip the usual generalities and give you straight talk on federal and state credit markets, including investor demand, the long run-up in prices, deal terms and other key trends in the equity market. Get the big picture on the market outlook for 2006 as well as the fine details about how to get the best equity deal for your project.

Year 15: How states are facilitating ownership changes and preservation.
Panelists will explore the latest thinking on exit strategies for tax credit projects that received allocations after the 1989 statutory changes and look at several completed restructurings to explain what worked and what did not. Plus, insights on emerging state plans for offering qualified contracts and encouraging continued low-income use.

The Future of HUD: What’s coming next and how to adapt.
Enjoy a candid debate on where the department is heading over the next three years and what it means for program users. From FHA programs to Sec. 236 interest rate decouplings to new policies for Sec. 8 vouchers, you’ll get practical advice from battle-hardened veterans on breaking through the bureaucracy.

Tax Credit Allocation Trends: How to improve your chances in the competition for tax credits.
An in-depth look at what’s ahead for 2006 state tax credit allocation plans as well as analysis of the latest allocation results. This lively, interactive session will help you understand key trends and nuts-and-bolts ways to submit winning applications.

Creative Ways to Fill the Widening Gap.
New ideas and practical tips for obtaining soft money and using it effectively to improve project feasibility and low-income targeting. Find out how to compete for well-established programs and where savvy developers are finding promising new sources of support.

Debt Financing Strategy in an Uncertain Economy.
Explore cutting-edge strategies for managing your debt-financing costs and interest-rate risk, including new hedging strategies for floating-rate debt. How to make the right choice between fixed-and floating-rate debt and the new products that fall somewhere in between. Plus, insight into the likely path of short- and long-term rate, and how it should inform your financing decisions.

TRACK II: New Strategies for Success

Market-driven Approaches to Developing Affordable Housing Without Tax Credits.
With government assistance getting harder to come by and costs increasing, more developers are finding ways to serve low- and moderate-income families without subsidy. Panelists will share their strategies for workforce housing, inclusionary zoning innovations, condos for moderate-income buyers, employer-subsidized housing, plus other new models.

Seniors Housing: Transforming Sec. 202 properties with new financing, improved facilities and new services.
Get the details on groundbreaking deals that are setting precedents for thousands of seniors housing projects in need of recapitalization and rehab. Find out how FHA and other financing programs are being used today and how new ideas will play out in the future.

Strategies for Succeeding at High-Density Urban Infill.
Developers reveal their methods for making urban deals work in various market conditions, from hot markets with active condo conversions and rising rents and land costs to smaller cities where critical mass is hard to come by. Learn how to overcome the financing and political challenges of mixed-income, mixed-use and transit-oriented development.

Strategies for Managing Land Costs and Finding Buildable Sites.
Finding suitable construction sites at affordable prices is one of the biggest battles for developers today. Successful developers and other experts will discuss the strategies that are working for them, including land trusts, local government land write-downs and brownfields development opportunities.

A New Era for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks.
Big changes are under way at the government-sponsored enterprises and even bigger changes have been proposed. This session will explore the new directions they are taking and look closely at how you can use the new programs they are offering in order to do more affordable housing.

New Partnerships for Public Housing.
With HOPE VI facing cutbacks, more and more public housing authorities will be using mixed-financing techniques to work with private developers and to build projects that serve very low income public housing tenants as well as a mix of other income groups. Groundbreaking deals will be presented, and experts will discuss the newest partnership possibilities.

Rebuilding the Gulf Coast: New Initiatives for Affordable Housing in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
This session will detail opportunities for developers to help meet the need for emergency housing and replacement housing for hundreds of thousands of families displaced by the hurricane and subsequent flooding, including specifics on how HUD and the IRS are modifying occupancy rules for existing projects and the latest information on new state and federal disaster relief and redevelopment funds, as well as philanthropic efforts by the housing industry.

Special Double Session: Tax Credit and Bond Basics.

Newcomers to the affordable housing business and those who want a refresher course on low-income housing tax credits and tax-exempt bonds are invited to this special session. Industry experts will cover the fundamentals of how tax credits and bonds work to help finance the latest housing developments. There will be plenty of time to go in-depth and ask questions about how the programs operate.