REGISTER NOW FOR  9TH ANNUAL FALL 
AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 5, 2010
104 Marietta Street, Atlanta, Georgia

This year's conference will provide a full day of educational offerings, along with special workshops for supportive housing providers and housing counselors. With access to credit a continuing problem in this economic downturn, we will offer panels how lenders underwrite nonprofit transactions, acquisition and financing tools, and green practices that can contribute to the bottom line.  Housing counselors can learn about the new Hardest Hit Fund and the impact of the SAFE Act on how they do business as well as hear some ideas for creating new revenue streams.  Supportive housing providers will get updated information about the housing agenda of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health. 

Thanks to the generous financial support of NeighborWorks® America, journalist Gary Rivlin, author of Broke, USA, will be the keynote luncheon speaker. Publisher HarperCollins notes, “Broke, USA offers a unique and riveting exploration of one of America’s largest and fastest-growing industries—the business of poverty. From the annual meeting of the national check cashers association in Las Vegas to a tour of the foreclosure-riddled neighborhoods of Dayton, Ohio, he presents a subprime Fast Food Nation featuring an unforgettable cast of characters and memorable scenes.” Interested persons may register just for lunch.

AHAND, G-STAND, and GEORGIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORPORATION also welcome conference sponsors The Home Depot Foundation, Enterprise, RBC Bank, Georgia Power, and in-kind sponsor ANDP.

View the full conference schedule here. For the Housing Counseling Track Schedule, click here. Click here to register.

G-STAND ANNOUNCES
2010 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING 
October 5, 2010, 1:15 p.m.

 The G-STAND board of directors encourages all member organizations to have representatives present during the meeting to vote on the board slate and to take care of any other business that should come before the body.

G-STAND RELEASES PUBLICATION SHOWCASING  NONPROFIT NSP BEST PRACTICES

Insights Plus, LLC and Davidson Consulting have identified best practices of Georgia nonprofit housing developers receiving funds through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. They have cataloged these best practices into a toolkit. G-STAND congratulates the following organizations with best practices profiled in the toolkit: 

Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership 
Community Housing, Inc. 
Flint River Habitat for Humanity
Home Development Resources 
Resources for Residents and Communities 
Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity
NeighborWorks^® Columbus 
In-Fill Housing, Inc.

G-STAND thanks Citi Foundation and Wachovia Foundation for their financial support of this project. 

Rental Homes remain “out of reach” for millions of Americans - Georgia’s high cost of housing highlighted in 2010 housing affordability report 
Atlanta, GA– On April 21, 2010, the National Low Income Housing Coalition released its annual Out of Reach report, which offers a side-by-side comparison of average rents and wages in every county, metropolitan area, combined rural area, and state in the country, last Wednesday. Available at www.nlihc.org, the report is the source of the often-cited Housing Wage, which shows the hourly wage that a person must earn to afford a modest market-rate rental home.  To view the report's information on any Georgia county, click here.       

WHAT IS A LIEN? WORKSHOP (Tony Lehman, attorney with DLA Piper, discussed key provisions in Georgia lien statutes and the ways that these statutes can be used to reduce the possibility of liens being filed on projects and analyzed the changes to Georgia's lien laws that took effect on March 31, 2009.)  For the presentation and handout, visit the library on the Affordable Housing Portal.       
ARCHIVE CONTRACT NEGOTIATION SEMINAR AVAILABLE ONLINE (covers the key contractual provisions in a general contract,  including payment clauses, liquidated damages and damages for delay, job safety, indemnification provisions, and dispute resolution).  Click the link to access the webcast:  http://www.georgiaadvocates.org/calendar/event.215928-Contract_Negotiation_with_General_Contractors_and_Construction_Managers_A   

SEE VIDEO ON AD VALOREM TAX EXEMPTION FOR 
CERTAIN CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS (presented by Charles Kearns, attorney with Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, LLP, the video explains the new law and constitutional amendment passed in 2006, that impacts property owned entirely by nonprofit organizations).  To view the approximately 90-minute video, click here.*  

*This video should not be construed as providing legal advice.  For specific legal questions, please contact your organization's legal counsel.  

If you are searching for housing anywhere in the state of Georgia, 
visit this web site for leads:  www.georgiahousingsearch.org.