Roy A. Bernardi, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), attended and participated at the "14th Affordable Housing Summit" held in San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 21, 2006. The Summit is an annual event sponsored by the Puerto Rico Bankers Association in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Department of Housing, the Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) Association, and the Home Builders Association.

Honorable Roy A. Bernardi, HUD Deputy Secretary giving message as guest keynote speaker of the 14th Affordable Housing Summit held at a local hotel in San Juan, PR.

Over 300 participants from the private and public sectors including community-based housing development organizations attended the event. The agenda covered important topics such as financing, construction costs, permits, building public-private partnerships and affordable rental housing. HUD San Juan Field Office was part of the agenda through its participation in a panel presentation on affordable rental housing.

As guest keynote speaker, HUD Deputy Secretary provided important remarks on the importance of public-private partnerships, HUD's FY 2007 budget for affordable housing and the America's Affordable Communities Initiative. He was joined in his visit to Puerto Rico by Mr. Nelson Bregon, General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development. During the day's event Deputy Secretary Bernardi had the opportunity to share with the Executive Vice President of the Puerto Rico Bankers Association, the Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Housing, the Administrator of the Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration, and Mayors from the Municipalities of Villalba, and San Sebastian, two municipalities from the South and West area of Puerto Rico.

Officials of the PR Department of Housing, PR Bankers Association and San Juan Field Office with HUD Deputy Secretary Roy A. Bernardi, at the 14th Affordable Housing Summit in San Juan, PR.

From left to right: Honorable Mayor of the Municipal Government of Villalba, Waldemar Rivera; Honorable Roy A. Bernardi; and Honorable Mayor of the Municipal Government of San Sebastian, Javier Jimenez.