Housing California coming up...This will be the 30th annual conference of the nation's largest annual affordable homes event, and takes place in Sacramento April 27-29. HUD will be there.

Upcoming:

February 18, the University of San Diego's Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate will host its 13th Annual Real Estate Conference at the San Diego Marriott Hotel. Some of the nation's leading bankers, institutional investors, hedge fund managers, mortgage bankers and mortgage workout specialists will participate, as well HUD's San Diego Field Office Director.

News from the field:

Phoenix's Field Office Director joined Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon as speakers at the opening of the Phoenix Homeless Veteran's Standdown February 6-8. It was expected that upwards of 1,000 homeless vets would have access to an array of services, including shelter, meals, clothing, medical and mental health counseling, temporary courts and housing referrals.

Phoenix's Field Office Director served on a panel in Goodyear, Arizona on the increasing foreclosure problems in this suburban city west of Phoenix. The event was televised on Goodyear's cable station. Biggest issue: loan modifications so owners could stay in their homes.

Santa Ana's HUD staff participated in the monthly Orange County Homeless Providers Forum. Guest speaker was Barbara Nelson, Executive Director of Mary's Shelter for homeless youth.

Regional Homeless Coordinator Eduardo Cabrera joined public sector partners and community members to examine the results of Project 50 on Skid Row that is engaging 50 chronically homeless individuals for rapid intervention. LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and Deputy Mayor Helmi Hisserich represented Mayor Villaraigosa. Forty-three of the 49 individuals remain housed. The effort involves a collaboration of over 20 county, city and federal agencies. A goal of housing 500 by the end of the year was set.

The 16th Annual Fair Housing Laws and Litigation Conference is taking place as you read this in San Diego. Speakers include HUD General Deputy Assistant Secretary for FHEO Bryan Greene, FHEO Region IX Director Chuck Hauptman, LA Program Center Director David Quezada, and Senior Equal Opportunity Specialist Jerry Cullinen. They covered Section 504 compliance for public housing authorities and construction compliance for architects and builders and other related issues for those affected by disabilities.

Our Santa Ana Homeownership Center conducted a three-hour training for 150 Los Angeles real estate professionals, loan officers and mortgage brokers.

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, HUD Honolulu Field Office Director, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, and Congressman Neil Abercrombie attended the dedication of the Salvation Army's Transitional Housing for Women and Children. It provides clean and sober housing for 12 homeless recovering women and their children, and was funded in part from HUD funds.

Look-see on Neighborhood Stabilization Program activities can be found on a very useful HUD data page. Check it out (http://www.huduser.org/datasets/nsp.html).

For further information regarding any of these articles, please contact the Region IX Supervisory Public Affairs Officer, Larry Bush.