Moving to Higher Opportunity Summit Explores Options and Opportunities for Housing Mobility

Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities Acting Director Salin Geevarghese (standing at right) moderated the panel of local elected officials.

Nearly 300 attended Region III's Moving to Higher Opportunity Summit: Exploring Options and Opportunities for Housing Mobility, a free event for those interested in housing mobility issues, at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, PA. HUD and its partners and stakeholders hosted the day-long session to raise awareness of the advantages of housing mobility and the implications to subsidized housing programs, and to help create a shared understanding of local impediments to affordable housing in higher opportunity areas. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Housing Authority and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission supported the event designed to attract individuals in the housing and community development industry including local elected and appointed governmental officials, faith-based leaders, metropolitan and community development planning organizations, fair housing and civil rights organizations, landlords in the local rental markets and others currently involved in the delivery of assisted housing.

Nationally known experts including Poverty & Race Research Action Council's Philip Tegeler, Princeton University's Douglas Massey, Building One America's David Rusk, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' Barbara Sard and Housing Choice Partners of Illinois, Inc.'s Christine Klepper discussed the benefits and challenges of providing families with access to housing in areas of higher opportunity, the results-oriented approaches of two current housing mobility programs, challenges with funding constraints and future reforms in federal housing policy and how these reforms could help state and local agencies meet fair housing goals. Special guests included HUD's Deputy Secretary Maurice Jones, who will provide the keynote address, as well as Assistant Secretary for Public & Indian Housing Sandra Henriquez who provided closing. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement Programs Sara Pratt and Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities Acting Director Salin Geevarghese were among the speakers.

Montgomery County Community College Vice President Dr. Steady Moono, Regional Administrator Jane C.W. Vincent and Deputy Secretary Maurice Jones chat with Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Chair Josh Shapiro backstage before the Summit start.

"Housing mobility provides low-income individuals and families with access to better housing and education, increases employment opportunities, and leads to improvements in overall quality of life and health-related outcomes," stated Regional Administrator Jane C.W. Vincent in her welcoming remarks.

Additional sponsors for the Summit included Building One Pennsylvania, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, Fair Housing Rights Center in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Montgomery County Community College, Montgomery County Housing Authority, Montgomery County Housing and Community Development, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, Poverty & Race Research Action Council, and the Southeastern Pennsylvania First Suburbs Project,

View more photos (www.flickr.com/photos/hudopa/sets/72157639727234014/) from the event.

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