Housing Summit Lunch & Learn

Kankakee Housing Summit 
September 16, 2014
10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Kankakee Public Library
4th Floor Auditorium

Hosted By 
City of Kankakee
Kankakee School District
Economic Alliance of Kankakee County
Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce
Illinois State Senator Toi Hutchinson
Kankakee-Iroquois-Ford Association of Realtors
Olivet Nazarene University
Kankakee Community College
Kankakee County Hispanic Partnership
NAACP Kankakee County Branch
Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley
St. Teresa Catholic Church
Hispanic Outreach Program
Kankakee County Housing Authority
Kankakee Development Corporation
Kankakee County Community Services, Inc.
Kankakee Public Library
County of Kankakee
Coachlight Square Neighborhood Association
Neighbors in Riverview
Risser Neighborhood Association
Riverview Historic District
Gracefield Area Neighborhood
Hillcrest Association of Responsible People
Riverside Neighborhood Organization
Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association
Marycrest Association of Responsible Citizens
Kankakee County Property Management Association


Why talk about housing?
Housing is an important issue in every community. Housing impacts education, public safety, wellness, job creation, economic development and civic engagement. Improving housing conditions and standards here in Kankakee can help address all of these issues.

Who should attend?
The Kankakee Housing Summit is for everyone who wants to learn more about the state of housing in the City of Kankakee and its impact on life in Kankakee and our surrounding communities. We will have participants from real estate developers, Realtors, bankers, not-for-profit organizations, local governments, city residents and local business, political and community leaders.

Why attend?
* Learn about the state of housing in Kankakee today. 
* Hear what other communities have done to address the same challenges facing our community. 
* Learn from experts about the various tools available to help address our challenges.
* Be inspired by our Keynote speaker, Carol Naughton from Purpose Built Communities. Carol will tell the story of the transformation of the East Lake Meadows housing project in Atlanta, Georgia. 
*Before: In 1995, East Lake Meadows had a crime rate 18 times higher than the national average and 90% of the families were annually the victim of a felony. Of its 1400 residents, only 4% earned incomes above the poverty line and the employment rate was only 13%. Additionally, just 5% of the neighborhood 5th graders met state math standards and only 30% of East Lake students graduated from high school. 
*After: Today East Lake Meadows is a vibrant, mixed income neighborhood of 2100 people with high quality housing. There has been a 90% reduction in violent crime. Now 98% of 5th graders meet state math standards and the employment rate is now 70%.
*Discuss how we can address our challenges and improve housing in Kankakee.

What is the goal of the Kankakee Housing Summit?
The goal of the summit is to be a starting point for a community wide discussion about housing. After the summit, we will call on local business, religious, government, not-for-profit and community leaders to help us develop a Community Housing Plan for Kankakee. The objective of the Community Housing Plan will be to develop strategies to enhance the supply and quality of housing for residents of Kankakee, thereby improving the quality of life for residents within the community.

What does it cost?
The event is free. A box lunch will be available for purchase for $10.

How do I sign up?
Please email info@kankakeecountychamber.com if you can attend. Please call Mike O'Brien at 815-352-4676 if you have any questions or need more information.

AGENDA

10:00 AM Welcome 
Kankakee Mayor Nina Epstein 
State Senator Toi Hutchinson

10:05 AM Opening Remarks
Congresswoman Robin Kelly

10:20 AM Looking to Other Communities for Ideas, Inspiration
Panelists: Brian Hollenback, Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation
Nick Brunick, Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen

Moderator: Dr. Don Daake, Professor of Business, Olivet Nazarene University

Brian Hollenback has more than 30 years of experience in the downtown development, housing development, mortgage lending, and construction finance industries. Brian serves as CEO of the Development Association of Rock Island, Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation and The Downtown Rock Island Arts & Entertainment District. Through Brian's initiatives, Renaissance Rock Island become a national leader in community-based development. The organization has leveraged more than $160 million in housing resources, impacted more than 1000 units of housing in Rock Island. The organization has secured a positive reputation for its ability to develop innovative projects, dynamic events, and bring new businesses to Rock Island by convening and facilitating work among various community partners.

Nick Brunick is an attorney at Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen in Chicago, Illinois. Nick represents not-for-profit and for-profit developers, tax credit syndicators, investors and lenders who are building or preserving affordable housing or developing commercial or not-for-profit enterprises in underserved areas. Nick will discuss his work with a wide variety of public and private financing sources, including low-income housing tax credits, state tax credits, New Market Tax Credits, various HUD financing tools, USDA financing, tax increment financing and numerous local, state and federal loan and grant programs.
Nick and Brian will also speak about what they have seen work well in other communities. Employer assisted housing programs, large scale neighborhood redevelopment, commercial redevelopment, downtown event planning and involvement of local employers will all be discussed as part of their comments.

11:00 AM Kankakee Today
Panelists: Mark Enns, Local contractor
Fred Tetter, Alderman, 7th Ward, City of Kankakee
Matt Olszewski, Peoples Bank of Kankakee County
Cliff Cross, City of Kankakee
Lisa Sanford, Realtor, Speckman Realty
Charlotte Ramirez, Kohl Apartments
Matt Hemenover, Hemenover Construction

Moderator: Bill Yohnka, Economic Development Director, City of Kankakee and Director of the Kankakee Development Corporation

This session will address where we are right now. We will begin with a brief presentation regarding housing and land use information, current initiatives and other relevant information. Panelists will share their take on housing and home ownership in Kankakee today. This discussion with focus will address things like the current owner occupied/rental ratio, current and future population growth, real estate taxes, projects currently underway or planned, potential developments and other issues. 

12:00 PM Keynote Speaker and Lunch
Carol Naughton, Purpose Built Communities

Carol Naughton helped found Purpose Built Communities, a nonprofit consulting firm dedicated to transforming struggling neighborhoods into vibrant, sustainable communities, in 2008. She previously served for seven years as the Executive Director of the East Lake Foundation, the lead non-profit organization that developed and continues to implement a bold, innovative and successful model of community revitalization that helps families break the cycle of poverty.
An expert in public/private partnerships, Carol has crafted groundbreaking alliances in housing and education. Prior to joining the East Lake Foundation, she was General Counsel and Deputy Executive Director for Legal and Nonprofit Affairs for the Atlanta Housing Authority. Before working with the AHA, Carol was engaged in the private practice of law with Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan's real estate group, where she primarily represented developers, lenders and investors.

1:00 PM Moving Kankakee Forward
Panelists John Gruhn, Farmers State Bank of Danforth
Carl Brown, Alderman, 7th Ward, City of Kankakee
Mayor Nina Epstein, City of Kankakee
Kari Nugent, Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley
Scott Snavely, Midland States Bank
Amy LaFine, Presence St. Mary's Hospital
Sylvia Barajas, St. Teresa Catholic Church
Dr. Genevra Walters, Superintendent, Kankakee School District
Moderator: Chris Curtis, Realtor, Alderman, 6th Ward, City of Kankakee

The focus of this panel discussion is where we go from here. Panelists will share their vision and priorities. 

1:45 PM What's Next?
Mike O'Brien, HomeStar Bank & Financial Services
Nick Brunick, Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen



http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102030424739-1151/Kankakee_Housing_Summit_.pdf