NEWBURGH (October 23, 2020) – The Pattern for Progress Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives is hosting its 13th annual Hudson Valley Housing Forum. This year’s forum is titled “Housing Matters | Shelter from the Storm.” The event is designed for professionals working in the fields of community and economic development, affordable and market rate housing, real estate, municipal government, planning and engineering, and community lending.

The event is being presented entirely in a virtual format, hosted on a Zoom platform over five days November 16th – 20th, 2020. The sessions are designed in 2-hour blocks of time, which includes a 30-45 minute keynote; 30-45 minute panel discussion; and a 30-45 minute “Solutions Lounge”.

The “Solutions Lounge” will happen directly after each panel session. The panelists, moderator, and keynote will be available for a facilitated conversation about the challenges presented by the keynote and panelist to answer the question, “So…what are we going to do about it”?

The schedule for the week will cover the following topics:

  • MONDAY, November 16th – Chasing the American Dream of Home Ownership
  • TUESDAY, November 17th – Multi-Family Development & Market Dynamics
  • WEDNESDAY, November 18th – Gentrification with Balanced Development
  • THURSDAY, November 19th – The Real Estate Market Rollercoaster
  • FRIDAY, November 20th – Race, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion in Community Development & Housing

This year’s program will be held entirely virtually, featuring the following keynote speakers:

  • Karen Hoskins, National Director for Home Ownership at NeighborWorks America
  • Diane Yentel, CEO and President of the National Low Income Housing Coalition
  • Ruthanne Visnauskas, Commissioner, New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal
  • Ed Poteat, Founder and President of Carthage Advisors, Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, and author of The Fiscal Cliff
  • Mike Kingsella, Executive Director of Up for Growth
  • Don Trahan, Jr., PhD., Director of Race, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (REDI) for NeighborWorks America

And panelists from across the Hudson Valley region, including:

  • Kevin O’Connor, CEO of RUPCO
  • Dina Levy, Senior Vice President of Single Family and Community Development for NYS Housing and Community Renewal
  • Sadie McKeown, Executive Vice President and Head of Construction Lending and Initiatives with the Community Preservation Corporation
  • Luiz Aragon, the Commissioner for Development at City of New Rochelle
  • Darren Scott, Upstate Development Director with NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal
  • Lisa Kaseman, ESQ., Regional Vice President at Conifer Realty
  • Jeffrey Nelson, Senior Vice President at RXR Realty
  • Ken Kearney, the Founder & President of Kearney Group.
  • Graham Trelstad, AICP, Vice President and Director of Planning
  • David Garten, Senior Vice President at RXR Realty
  • Guy Kempe, Vice President of Community Development at RUPCO
  • Mayor Lee Kyriacou – City of Beacon
  • Mayor Steve Noble – City of Kingston
  • Joe Rand, Executive Director for the Broker Public Portal and COO at Howard Hanna Rand Realty
  • Paula Elaine Kay, Esq., Attorney at the Law Office of Paula Elaine Kay
  • William O’Keeffe, Esq., Attorney at O’Keeffe & McCann, LLP
  • Bill Calderara, President and CEO of Ulster Saving Bank

About Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress

Hudson Valley Pattern For Progress is  policy, planning, advocacy and research nonprofit that has promoted regional, balanced and sustainable solutions for the Hudson River Valley since 1965. Visit Pattern-For-Progress.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.