The HADA Seminar was held in Milwaukee on June 18. Attendees represented 24 states and the District of Columbia. The 2009 HADA Seminar is scheduled for March 23, 2009 at Treasure Island in Las Vegas.

A Summit on the Future of Public Housing was convened in Virginia on June 9-10. HAI sponsored this effort, which aims to expand the number of industry stakeholders uniting to improve the economic and political environment of our industry.

The objectives of the Summit were: creating a shared vision of the future of this industry, laying out a strategy to move in that direction, and engaging the next administration quickly so that it can offer specific proposals. The group agreed to continue its work in small groups throughout the summer. The common goal is to have finalized proposals ready for a second summit to be held in September.

At this first session, participants focused on broad areas of concern. Topics included securing a more adequate, predictable funding stream for operations and addressing capital backlog needs. Also, considerable time was spent discussing ways to improve the regulatory environment faced by the industry.

Important industry groups participating in this first work session included: PHADA, CLPHA, NAHRO, NLIHC, NOAAH, National Housing Conference, National Housing Trust, National Equity Fund, Abt Associates, Enterprise Community Partners, and Fannie Mae. Also, several people deeply involved in the industry over the years participated, including Rick Gentry, Rod Solomon, and Henry Cisneros.