Our eighth annual Affordable Homeownership Summit took place online on Oct. 21 and 22, 2021, and explored the theme of Building an Equitable Recovery.

While major progress toward recovery from the pandemic has been achieved, tens of thousands of homeowners across the country are still facing financial instability. Even as millions in federal homeowner assistance is expected to be distributed to the most in-need families, a systemic response to the economic crisis triggered by the pandemic is still very much needed. The online conference examined what an equitable recovery would look like, and the path it will take to get there.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 21ST: 1-1:30PM EST

Welcome Speech: Center for New York City Neighborhoods CEO, Christie Peale
Keynote Speech: Alicka Ampry-Samuel, NYC Council Member

Equity at Scale, Near and Afar: 1:30-2:20PM EST 

While NYC and NYS face unique challenges in housing with unique solutions, housing and community development leaders across the globe bring fresh ideas to the forefront as well. This panel will showcase new pilots and programs that are making waves around the country and globe, and explore how they could translate to and benefit communities in New York.

  • Panelists:
    • Martha Baez, Senior Vice President Land Bank Operations, Invest Newark
    • Elena Gonzales, Senior Director, Policy & Community Engagement, Homewise, Inc.
    • Dr Kate Raynor, Research Fellow, University of Melbourne
    • Roy Southerland, Senior Investment Officer, Invest Newark
    • Heather Tremain, Chief Executive Officer, Options for Homes 
  • Moderator: Julian St Patrick Clayton, Deputy Director of Policy & Research, Center for NYC Neighborhoods


Breakthroughs in Black Homeownership: 2:30-3:20PM EST 

It is undeniable that there are real and very daunting challenges that Black homeowners and buyers face at every step of the process. Communities and groups across the country work to undo these injustices and create equity within the homeownership journey and uplift Black communities. We will explore these areas for growth and change, and dig in deeper during curated breakout sessions.

  • Panelists: 
    • Kristen Broady, Brookings Institute
    • Jerrod Delaine, Pratt Institute
    • Tonya Ores, Executive Director, NHS of Brooklyn
  • Moderator: Salima Etoka, Deputy Chief of Staff, Center for NYC Neighborhoods

Risk Beyond Balance Sheets: Redistributing Risk Equitably: 3:50-4:40PM EST

Risk management goes well beyond balance sheets. How we evaluate and distribute risk — and how we measure the risks of NOT taking action — is critical in the pursuit of economic and racial equity and climate justice. What does it look like to evaluate and redistribute risk in an equitable way? How can frameworks of risk become inclusive? This panel will explore ways to update trusted models of risk using real life examples.

    • Panelists:
      • Carolyn Kousky, Executive Director, Wharton Risk Center, University of Pennsylvania
      • Brian Loeb, Community Investment Policy & Research Advisor, Federal Home Loan Bank of New York
      • Viraj Patel, Global Head of Product Credit Analytics, S&P Global Market Intelligence
  • Moderator: Caren Johnson, Project Manager, Center for NYC Neighborhoods

FRIDAY OCTOBER 22

Preparing and Pre-Acting for the Next Disaster: 1-1:50PM EST

New York City has learned many hard lessons about resilience, climate change, and mitigation over the past decade and especially during the pandemic. This panel will showcase experts sharing how communities can utilize knowledge from these experiences and pre-act responsively in the face of future crises.

  • Panelists: 
    • Jainey Bavishi, Resilience Director, MOCR
    • Yoselin Genao Estrella, Executive Director, Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens
    • Jessica Katz, Executive Director, Citizens Housing Planning Council
  • Moderator: Cristian Salazar, Director of Communications, Center for NYC Neighborhoods

An Agenda for the New City: 2-3:20PM EST

During this transition of leadership for NYC, the affordable homeownership and housing fields must work with our elected officials to ensure that city priorities meet the needs of homeowners and prospective homebuyers in every borough. What are our leaders excited to achieve and how will we work together on issues like opportunity to purchase, affordable homeownership at scale, and more?  This panel will include breakout room discussions.

  • Panelist: Councilmember Adrienne Adams: Adams@council.nyc.gov
  • Moderator: Ivy Perez, Policy and Research Manager, Center for NYC Neighborhoods


Thank you to our sponsors: