Housing group to present study on real estate affordability

Study focuses on 20 large municipalities
Inman News
A coalition of organizations interested in housing issues has completed a survey on affordable home-ownership programs across the country and will present its findings Monday.

The Homeownership Alliance, a coalition of about 15 organizations, announced this week that the survey reveals effective practices that cities have enlisted to increase housing affordability. The survey, "Affordable Homes: Best Practices for America," focuses on the largest 20 municipalities in the country. Among the municipalities with programs highlighted in the report: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Riverside (Calif.), San Diego, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

Members of the alliance include: Consumer Federation of America, The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, The Enterprise Foundation, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Habitat for Humanity International, Independent Community Bankers of America, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, National Association of Federal Credit Unions, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Mortgage Brokers, National Association of Real Estate Brokers, National Association of Realtors, World Floor Covering Association, National Bankers Association, National Council of La Raza, and National Urban League.

The chairman and president of the alliance will discuss the findings during a teleconference, and other housing officials will also be on-hand, among them: Shannon Carey, director of external affairs for the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership Inc.; Michael Guye, acting director of the city of Baltimore Office of Homeownership; Candace Sheehan, home-ownership administrator for marketing and public relations, Washington State Housing Finance Commission; Gabe del Rio, home-ownership director for the San Diego Community Housing Works; Lisa DeBrock, home-ownership division manager for the Washington State Housing Finance Commission; Karen Carlson, home-ownership second mortgage administrator for the Washington State Housing Finance Commission; and Robert Mulderig, deputy director for residential and community services for the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development.

According to The Homeownership Alliance's mission, the group "is dedicated to preserving; protecting and promoting expanded home-ownership opportunities for all Americans. We are dedicated to making home ownership a national priority by supporting those positive developments that expand and increase opportunities to open access to affordable housing."

The teleconference will be available on the alliance's Web site, http://www.homeownershipalliance.com/, for 90 days following the Monday event.