Region II Section 3 Conference Supports Local Businesses

Monique Williams, FHEO assist in enrolling minority-owned business into the Section 3 Business Registry.

HOn September 16, 2019, the New York Regional Office of Field Policy and Management in partnership with the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity came together and convened the "Section 3 and Government procurement Conference".

Over 300 small, veterans, minority and women-owned business registered for the conference, as well as representatives of federal, state, county and city agencies.

The conference offered two paneled workshops providing the opportunity for local business to learn how to participate in the government contracting process and expand awareness of the Section 3 Program.

Henry Comas Section 3 Coordinator moderated the first workshop, "Section 3 Benefits and Responsibilities", which provided information on how to improve access and information on Section 3 regulations, best practices and the opportunity portal and business registry. The panel included Wanda S. Nieves, Director FHEO Regional Compliance and Brenda D. Edmondson, Branch Chief, Program Compliance.

The second workshop "Developing Business Partnerships with Government" featured Jean Lin Pao, Director , HUD's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization who offered information on ways to help business owners make their businesses more competitive and on how to access business opportunities with HUD.

The conference set a best practice for Region II by arranging for NY FHEO staff to offer onsite Section 3 data intake, interviewing and enrolling over 70 business directly into the business registry. Ms. Vanessa Summers, Senior EOS as well as the following EOS' Monique Williams, Chelsea Rillo, and Jamie Santiago assisted in the step by step process ensuring that business meet the definition of a Section 3 business concern.

###