Join us for a special conference exploring the most pressing issues, best practices and cutting edge work on the topics of homelessness prevention and affordable housing.  

Limited tickets. Scholarships available.

Schedule for the day

8:00 am – Registration, Breakfast, Vendors

9:00 am – Welcome & Keynote Speaker

10:15-11:45 - Workshop Session One

12:00-12:50 - Lunch

1:00-2:30 - Workshop Session Two

2:30-2:45 - Afternoon Break

2:45-4:15 - Workshop Session Three

4:30-6:00 - Reception and Closing Remarks

Special Thanks to our Event Sponsors and Underwriters: Citizens Bank Foundation, Barbara Sokoloff Associates, Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, RI Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, Washington Trust Bank, Johnson & Wales University, Bank-RI, United Way of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Foundation, Rhode Island Association of Realtors, Corporation for Supportive Housing, LISC/National Equity Fund

Session One – 10:15-11:45am

• Securing State Investment for Affordable Housing and Homeless Prevention Programs
• Building a Well Rounded Board
• Effective Outreach and Engagement
• Strategic Communications for Social Justice
• Strategies for Interagency Coordination to Encourage Sustainable Development
• Co-occurring Disorders
• Tools and Information For the Fight Against Homelessness
• Cover Letters, Resumes and Interviews
• Landlord and Tenant Mediation
• Planning and Designing Healthier Communities

Session Two – 1:00-2:30pm

• The Ten Year Plan Briefing - Life After HEARTH
• Trends in Fundraising, Collaborations, and Social Ventures
• Organizing for Our Times
• Message Development
• Creating Affordable Homes in Your Community
• Human Trafficking, Domestic Violence and Trauma
• Motivational Interviewing
• Moving Constituents Towards Systems Change
• Stabilizing Household Finances
• Healthy foods Initiative- “Healthy Food, Healthy Communities"
• Affordably Green - Low Cost Solutions For Energy Conservation

Session Three – 2:45-4:15pm

• Federal Update Panel
• Students Rock! Developing a Solid Foundation For Your Internship Program
• Building Community Support for Affordable Housing
• Meet the Media
• Next Steps for Public Housing in Rhode Island
• Promising Practices for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care
• The Truth about Homelessness
• Trauma Informed Care
• Green & Healthy Housing Initiatives – Providence Neighborhood Innovation Pilot
• Affordably Green - Low Cost Solutions For Energy Conservation

Workshop Details, Session One – 10:15-11:45am

Securing State Investment for Affordable Housing
and Homeless Prevention Programs
Persistent high unemployment, unfunded pension liabilities, and record foreclosures have played havoc with our state’s economy and budget.  With the Building Homes Rhode Island bond fully committed and the Neighborhood Opportunities Program (NOP) funded at only $1.5 million in last year’s budget, housing advocates are increasingly concerned about providing safe and affordable homes for all Rhode Islanders.  Come join in a discussion with others as we talk about ways to address the growing need in our state.

Moderator:      Brenda Clement, Executive Director, Housing Action Coalition
Speakers:       Richard Godfrey, Executive Director, Rhode Island Housing
                        Anthony Maione, President and CEO, United Way or Rhode Island
                        Adrian C Boney, Grant Programs Officer, Rhode Island Foundation
                        Jeanne Cola, Housing Resources Commission

Building a Well Rounded Board
Organizations grow and change and so should their boards. What makes for a good board member?  How do we retain hard workers and what should we do with those who neglect their duties? For the answers to these questions and more, join us in this discussion.

Speaker:         Nzinga Misgana, Consultant

Effective Outreach and Engagement

Many constituents who are homeless or cycle in and out of housing avoid social services, legal services, and veteran’s benefits systems due to a lack of knowledge of these complex systems. Metal illness and substance abuse (or a co-occurrence of both conditions) can play into their reluctance to enter care. These realities provide practitioners and advocates with significant challenges. This workshop will teach participants proven ways of outreach to engage clients; thereby increasing the likelihood for effective service delivery and entry into the system of care.

Moderator:      John Joyce, Riverwood Housing First and RI Homeless Advocacy Project
Speakers:       Jim Silva, Outreach, Riverwood Housing First, SOAR
                        Rachel Levenson, Community Outreach,  RI Public Defender   
                        Bobbie Fish, Caseworker, House of Hope
                        Sean Lonergan, Outreach Social Worker, Providence VA            


Strategic Communications for Social Justice
Communications is a crucial but often overlooked component of our social justice work!  While we are aware that the use of communications is integral to raising public awareness and changing attitudes, we have not institutionalized within our organizations the ability to do effective communications and media advocacy. Participants will learn how approaching media advocacy as a system and not as a quick fix for special events or crisis response can help organizations work collaboratively to implement communications plans, develop proactive media messages, and strategize more effectively in getting the message out about our issues.

Speaker:         Jennifer Leigh, Director of Communications, Poverty Institute


Strategies for Interagency Coordination to Encourage Sustainable Development
The concepts of smart growth and sustainable development are embraced by Rhode Island on many levels. In fact, we are a national leader in establishing policies that promote sustainable development. However, sustainable development requires coordination and partnership among organizations representing a wide array of issues, from the environment and economic development to transportation and homes. Several State and local initiatives are underway this year to make sure these policies translate into better development on the ground in all communities in Rhode Island through interagency cooperation and coordination of resources.

Moderator:      Amy Rainone, Rhode Island Housing
Speakers:       Jeff Davis, Rhode Island Housing
                        Karen Scott, Statewide Planning Program
                        Nancy Whit, Pawtucket Citizens Development Corporation (PCDC)


Co-occurring Disorders
Understanding the complex diagnostic and treatment issues posed by the co-occurrence of severe mental illness and substance use disorders has become a necessary exercise in current psychiatric practice. The course of severe mental illness is negatively influenced by a substance use disorder, and an integrated approach to the treatment of both disorders is generally accepted to be the most promising treatment strategy. Components of this strategy include harm reduction, treatment in stages, motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral interventions, and modified 12-step self-help groups. Learn more about this best practice in this workshop.

Speaker:         Mr. Lee Dalphonse, VP Behavioral Health, Seven Hills Foundation


Tools and Information For the Fight Against Homelessness
Ever feel like you are drowning in the alphabet soup of housing and homelessness acronyms? Looking for a comprehensive resource guide to decipher the wide array of commonly used terms? Looking to add some tools to your housing search toolbox? Join us for an informative conversation with a cross-section of experts from the housing arena as they share best practices, tips, and tricks in affordable housing location. Leave with a working knowledge of local housing resources, commonly used terms, and contacts to help support your work.

Moderator:      Laura Jaworski, SHPN Coordinator, Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless
Speakers:       Nicole Bush, Crossroads Rhode Island
                        Diana Dumin, The Kent Center
                        Lisa Solano-Sanchez, Rhode Island Housing
                        Vicki Walters, The Providence Center


Cover Letters, Resumes and Interviews
If you have never written a cover letter or a resume then this workshop is for you!  Learn how to write a cover letter and a resume through this hands on workshop.  Explore ways to create a cover letter that will showcase your previous work, volunteer or internship experiences through creative writing.  Learn how to use your life experience as evidence of your knowledge and skills.  Learn what to wear to interviews, how to respond to the hard questions, and what to ask when the interviewer says “Do you have any questions for me?”

Speaker:         Constance Vergowven, Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless


Landlord and Tenant Mediation
Mediation is a process where parties that disagree sit down with a neutral third party, called a mediator. They each talk about the dispute and the mediator helps them reach a solution that works for both parties.What kinds of conflicts can be mediated? Neighborhood disputes, housing, family, consumer, discrimination, and custody and visitation can all be mediated. This workshop will focus on landlord tenant issues but share other processes as well.

Speaker:         Victoria Moreno-Jackson, Program Director, Community Mediation Center of R.I.


Planning and Designing Healthier Communities
Health professionals, community developers and planners around the country are joining forces to make the public aware that the built environment and the availability of healthy foods has a major impact on our level of physical activity as well as overall public health.  In Rhode Island, the Department of Health has launched the Healthy Places by Design initiative, which seeks to strengthen local land use, transportation and urban design policies.   Representatives from Pawtucket, RI, who coordinate the Healthy Places by Design project, will talk about how the built environment impacts public health.  They will discuss approaches for building community capacity to advocate for change and will suggest design considerations that can be incorporated into neighborhood project designs and community planning.

Moderator:      Shelia Brush, Director of Programs, GrowSmart RI
Speakers:       Angela Bannerman Ankoma, Rhode Island Department of Health
                        Chelsea L. Siefert, Community Planner, Rhode Island Department of Health
                        Karla Vigil, Healthy Places by Design Project Coordinator, PCDC
                        Julissa Rivera, Community Outreach Coordinator, PCDC

Workshop Details, Session Two – 1:00-2:30

The Ten Year Plan Briefing - Life After HEARTH
This workshop will provide an overview of the HEARTH Act, its proposed regulations and implications for the State’s Continuum of Care, and its application to housing and service programs for individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.  We will also provide an update on the progress in revising the State’s plan to end homelessness. 

Speakers:       Laura Archambault, Supportive Services Manager, RI Housing
                        Michelle Brophy, New England Program, Corporation for Supportive Housing
                        Michael Tondra, Chief, Office of Housing and Community Development

Trends in Fundraising, Collaborations, and Social Ventures
Maintaining and sustaining the cost of effective programming has been challenging, and never more so than in today’s struggling economy. Building partnerships for change is never easy and often trying, yet forming collaborations is more important today than ever before. New trends in funding will be presented including partnering with strong allies and thinking outside the box to new social ventures.

Speakers:       Jean Johnson, House of Hope
                        Eileen Hayes, Amos House
                        Gayle Gifford, Cause and Effect


Organizing for Our Times
Community organizing continues to be an effective strategy for bringing communities together on important issues. In this workshop participants and presenters will discuss and examine the importance of organizing those who are impacted by the issues and their allies.  The workshop will also examine the most effect strategies and tactics for making change.

Speakers:       Zulma Garcia, RI Coalition against Domestic Violence
                        Heidi Collins, Connecting for Children and Families

 
Message Development
Come hear from a national expert on how to best “tell and sell” the need for more affordable housing in our state.  He will give an overview of other states’ advocacy and communications campaigns and help us strategize about how to best tell our story here in Rhode Island. 

Speaker:         Michael Anderson, Center for Community Change


Creating Affordable Homes in Your Community
What makes the development of “affordable” homes different from “market-rate” homes? Every housing development faces unique development constraints that can significantly impact total development costs, as well as the relative costs of components such as land acquisition or construction.  The cost of developing low- and moderate-income homes is influenced by a number of factors including federal, state and local requirements; such as zoning, regulatory requirements (impact fees, building and fire codes, etc.), environmental requirements, and historic preservation (if applicable). This panel will discuss resources for non-profit real estate development and affordable housing production in today’s challenging funding environment.

Moderator:      Chris Hannifan, Executive Director, Housing Network of Rhode Island
Speakers:       Joe Garlick, Executive Director, NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley CDC
                        Carol Ventura, Rhode Island Housing, Real Estate Development Department


Human Trafficking, Domestic Violence and Trauma
This training offers participants an overview of what human trafficking is and how certain populations are specifically vulnerable to sexual exploitation. This training is designed to raise awareness about the topic and provide a general understanding of how to successfully work with women and children who are or have been exploited.  Additionally, the workshop will offer solutions to ending human trafficking

Speakers:       Kim Harris


Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing is a directive, client-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence. Compared with non-directive counseling, it is more focused and goal directed. Participants will learn how to promote the examination and resolution of ambivalence among clients and be more intentionally directive in helping them pursue this goal.

Speaker:         Jim Thomas, Riverwood Health Services


Moving Constituents Towards Systems Change
Hear the real stories of how homeless and formerly homeless Rhode Islanders negotiate systems. Join them in this workshop as they share their successes and raise awareness about the challenges. This workshop will help advocates understand how to assist in moving their consumers towards becoming change agents.

Moderators:    John Joyce, RIHAP/ Riverwood Housing First
                        Megan Smith, RIHAP
Speakers:       RIHAP and other TBD Constituents 

Stabilizing Household Finances
This panel will discuss topics aimed to assist households stabilize their finances, improve credit, learn about financial fitness/literacy and Individual Deposit Account programs.

Moderator:      Helen Iasimone, Deputy Director, Housing Network of Rhode Island
Speakers:       Linda Weisinger  Deputy Director, SWAP
                        Paul Decoste Vice President, CIB/Advantus
                        Marie Hawe AFI Regional Consultant, Assets for Independence Resource Center


Healthy foods Initiative- “Healthy Food, Healthy Communities”
Learn how supporting access to healthy food can help build strong communities. A panel discussion on the prominence of food access as an economic and health issue in low-income communities, and current efforts in Rhode Island that could help bring fresh food to your community. Speakers will discuss national and local food policies, fresh food systems, creative uses of SNAP benefits, and implementation strategies.

Speakers:       Kathleen Gorman, RI Food Council
                        LeeAnn Byrne, Food Access Project Outreach Coordinator
                        Sarah Lester, Farm Fresh RI
                        Kari Lang, Executive Director, WBNA
                        Dauna Noble, Fertile Underground


Affordably Green - Low Cost Solutions For Energy Conservation
Buildings require routine maintenance seasonally, annually and as systems and assemblies fail. The focus of this workshop will be to look at how green and energy efficiency can be strategically incorporated into what needs to be done to our buildings anyway, by creating a long-term roadmap for greening. By incorporating the goals of energy efficiency with building and system maintenance, the opportunities for deeper energy savings can be realized. The strategies discussed will lean toward low-tech, readily implementable measures with a proven track record and lasting benefits.

This workshop is recommended for real estate developers, asset managers, properties managers and organizations with real estate holdings. Deane Evans is a national expert involved the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America programand HUD’s Design Advisor. Sponsored by the Rhode Island Foundation.

Speakers:       Deane Evans, FAIA NJ Institute of Technology Center for Building Knowledge
                        Christine Liaukus, RA,CPHC, NJ Institute of Technology, Center for Building
                        Knowledge and Affordably Green Academy

Workshop Details, Session Three – 2:45-4:15pm

Federal Update Panel
These are challenging times for the federal budget. Between debt ceiling debates and the formation by Congress of a joint committee to address deficit reduction, the future of affordable housing and homelessness programs is in question. Come hear the latest updates from our Washington, DC colleagues and learn how to make your voice heard about the importance of these resources to our state.

Speakers:       Melissa Quirk, National Low-Income Housing Coalition
                        Barbara Burnham, Local Initiative Support Corporation
                        Peggy Bailey, Corporation for Supportive Housing

Students Rock! Developing a Solid Foundation For Your Internship Program
Students can, and should, be a valuable part of our non-profit organizations.  Having an effective internship program requires thoughtful planning and implementation. This workshop will focus on the key ingredients to an effective internship program, including a panel of student interns who will share their insights on what makes an internship a positive experience.

Speakers:       Karen Jeffreys, Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless
Chris Ure, Professor, Johnson & Wales University

Building Community Support for Affordable Housing
Learn how to build support in your community for the development of long-term affordable housing. This workshop will highlight strategies to help you advocate for long-term affordable housing, including: effective messaging; helpful data points; and lessons learned in other Rhode Island communities.

Speakers:       Nicole Lagace, HousingWorks RI
                        Tom Kravitz, Barrington Town Council
                        Annette Bourne, Rhode Island Housing

Meet the Media
Developing positive relationships with journalists is a critical component of any organization’s communications work. Come hear from the journalists themselves on how to work with members of the press, pitch stories, and present a consistent vision of your organization to the media.  A panel of journalists from local print, air and online media outlets will answer your questions on how best to work with them to get your information out.

Panelists include: TBD

Next Steps for Public Housing in Rhode Island 
Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) across our state provide safe and affordable housing for our seniors, disabled and very low-income families.  Due to shrinking budgets, PHAs’ resources have been stretched thin.  Come and hear from local PHA directors about new initiatives and programs they have developed to face these changing times.  

Speakers:       Steve O’Rourke, Executive Director, Providence Housing Authority
                        James Reed, Executive Director, Newport Housing Authority

Promising Practices for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care 
This workshop will explore a range of models for addressing the risk of homelessness among youth aging out of the foster care system.   We will explore programs from across the country as well as promising practices in Rhode Island.

Moderator:      Michelle Brophy, Corporation for Supportive Housing
Speakers:       John Scott, Principal Community Program Liaison, DCYF
                        Lori DePina, DCYF
                        Jessica Nievera, YESS Program Coordinator
                        Olabisi Davies, Self-Sufficiency Support Specialist Team Leader

The Truth about Homelessness 
Every night in Rhode Island there are hundreds people without a place to call “home.”  Homelessness has many faces: families, children, single adults, all races and ethnicities. There are many reasons people become homeless and each person has a different story. Our speakers are real Rhode Islanders willing to share their stories. Come to this workshop and hear the “real truth about homelessness.” 

Speakers:       The Voices of Homelessness Speakers Bureau

Trauma Informed Care 
Psychological trauma is a pivotal force that shapes the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of those seeking healing and recovery with the support of mental health and human services. Trauma informed care (TIC) provides a new paradigm under which the basic premise for organizing services is transformed from “what is wrong with you?” to “what has happened to you?” This workshop will educate participants in TIC and elicit ways to provide for self-care in TIC work.

Speakers:       Corinna Roy
                        Faye Baker

Green & Healthy Housing Initiatives – Providence Neighborhood Innovation Pilot 
The City of Providence was selected for a national initiative to implement a weatherization and healthy homes demonstration project in the Olneyville Valley St. neighborhood of Providence. 

Speakers:       Mark Kravitz, Project Director
                        Gary Bliss, City Planning & Development Department

 

Affordably Green - Low Cost Solutions For Energy Conservation
Buildings require routine maintenance seasonally, annually and as systems and assemblies fail. The focus of this workshop will be to look at how green and energy efficiency can be strategically incorporated into what needs to be done to our buildings anyway, by creating a long-term roadmap for greening. By incorporating the goals of energy efficiency with building and system maintenance, the opportunities for deeper energy savings can be realized. The strategies discussed will lean toward low-tech, readily implementable measures with a proven track record and lasting benefits.

This workshop is recommended for real estate developers, asset managers, properties managers and organizations with real estate holdings. Deane Evans is a national expert involved the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America programand HUD’s Design Advisor. Sponsored by the Rhode Island Foundation.

Speakers:       Deane Evans, FAIA NJ Institute of Technology Center for Building Knowledge
                        Christine Liaukus, RA,CPHC, NJ Institute of Technology, Center for Building
                        Knowledge and Affordably Green Academy

AFFORDABLE HOUSING TOURS

The conference will feature two tours that will showcase some of the outstanding affordable housing developments in Rhode Island. Join us for one (or both!) of these exciting tours.

This tour will show the various levels of housing and social services House of Hope CDC provides to homeless individuals and families. House of Hope provides services to the chronically homeless and disabled along a continuum of housing, from emergency and transitional shelter, to permanent supportive housing, to affordable rentals and homeownership. They work to couple social services supports with quality, affordable housing in order to move residents to the least-supported permanent housing that is appropriate to their needs.

This tour will focus on family housing at both Sweetbriar- a rental community developed by East Bay CDC - and Walker Farms- a homeownership enclave developed by West Elmwood Housing. Participants will tour the developments and units. Representatives from the community development corporations will be joined by Council President June Speakman to talk about the development process and the relationship with the Town of Barrington.

SPECIAL WORKSHOPS FOR REALTORS

With funding from an Ira Gribin grant from the National Association of Realtors, the RI Association of Realtors, Housing Action-RI, Housing Network and other local housing organizations have developed a series of four classes designed to increase local realtors’ knowledge and interest in the issue of “workforce” or affordable housing.  Highlights of several classes will be offered.  Please note that these classes do NOT count towards continuing education requirements.

The Reaching Home Rhode Island Conference is organized in collaboration by: