Friends of NCST,
We are pleased to announce our 4th Annual Homeownership Policy Symposium.
This year’s symposium will be a hybrid event on Tuesday, November 17th hosted at the American Psychological Association’s Conference Center in Washington, DC (750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002) with a virtual option available for remote participants.
This year’s theme—Building Together, Block by Block: Local Power and the Future of Homeownership—will engage local thought leaders, policymakers, and practitioners around pressing policy issues and innovative approaches to expand single-family housing supply and strengthen sustainable homeownership for generations to come. Throughout the day, experts from across the housing field, national advocacy partners, and local practitioners will be on hand for conversations on implementation of the ROAD to Housing Act, preserving homes and strengthening communities, capital stack mechanics, post-midterm legislative agendas for the 120th Congress, and more!
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
9:30 AM – 10:10 AM
10:10 AM – 10:40 AM
10:40 AM – 11:00 AM
11:00 AM – 11:40 AM
11:40 AM – 12:40 PM
12:40 PM – 1:20 PM
1:20 PM – 2:00 PM
2:00 PM – 2:40 PM
2:40 PM – 3:00 PM
3:00 PM – 3:40 PM
3:40 PM – 4:10 PM
4:10 PM – 6:00 PM
Opening Breakfast & Registration
Hot breakfast, coffee, and registration check-in. Connect with peer attendees, housing leaders, and symposium partners
Welcome: Remarks from NCST President Christopher Tyson
NCST Executive Leadership sets the stakes for advancing strong policies and practices to support homeownership, framing the theme “Building Together, Block by Block.”
Panel: Single Family Rentals: Regulatory Changes, Capital Trends and Securing Pathways to Homeownership
Discussion about shifting dynamics within the single family rentals sector with the enactment of ROAD to Housing
Panel: Implementation of ROAD on the Ground
Examining how local partners and advocates translate federal ROAD to Housing initiatives into practical, neighborhood-level homeownership solutions.
Morning Refreshment Break
Networking break and coffee refresh.
Panel: Repairing Homes, Strengthening Communities
Millions of homeowners face repair needs that threaten their ability to remain safely housed, while deferred maintenance affects the quality of the nation’s housing supply. This panel examines financing tools, local repair programs and policy opportunities to help homeowners stay in their homes and preserve affordable housing.
Networking Luncheon
Lunch providing dedicated space for conversations, partner collaboration, and cross-sector networking.
Keynote Address: Mayor Paul Young – Local Power in Action
Mayor Young’s leadership exemplifies this year’s Symposium theme, “Building Together, Block by Block: Local Power and the Future of Homeownership.” Under his vision, Memphis has committed to building 10,000 new homes by 2030 — a bold goal anchored in a city-wide strategy that places housing and neighborhood revitalization at the heart of Memphis’s growth and future. His approach underscores the critical role that local leadership, strong partnerships, and innovative approaches play in creating pathways to homeownership and building stronger communities.
Symposium Primer: Capital Stack Show & Tell
An interactive primer detailing how affordable single family developers build the capital stack needed to bring affordable homes to market.
Panel: Supporting Supply: Financing the Future of Single-Family Affordability
The nation is short millions of starter homes. What capital solutions exist today and what solutions are needed to close this gap?
Afternoon Stretch & Beverage Break
Quick coffee, drink, and networking stretch.
Panel: The 120th Congress Outlook
Navigating post-midterm housing agendas, federal budget fights, and bipartisan supply opportunities following the 2026 election cycle.
Special Presentation: Homeownership Champion Award – Lisa Rice, CEO – National Fair Housing Alliance
Lisa’s pathbreaking leadership has expanded opportunities for affordable homeownership and championed the investments and protections to ensure everyone has access to housing free from discrimination.
Closing Remarks & Networking Reception
Synthesis of key takeaways, strategic advocacy steps for partners and funders, and official event wrap-up along with evening cocktail reception. Celebrate partnerships and continue collaborative discussions.
Bio Coming Soon
Christopher J. Tyson is President of NCST (National Community Stabilization Trust), a national nonprofit advancing affordable homeownership and neighborhood stabilization. He leads the organization’s strategy, operations, and national partnerships, working with financial institutions, philanthropy, and community-based developers to modernize and expand pathways to sustainable homeownership.
Previously, he served as President and CEO of Build Baton Rouge, securing more than $50 million to advance transformative redevelopment initiatives. He was the Newman Trowbridge Distinguished Professor of Law at Louisiana State University, where he taught and published in property and local government law. His scholarship and commentary have appeared in leading journals and national media outlets.
Bio Coming Soon
Lauren Lowery is the Director for Housing and Community Development at National League of Cities. Her portfolio at NLC includes housing supply, housing stability, homelessness and equitable development, and co-leads the Housing Supply Accelerator and America’s Housing Comeback.
Prior to joining NLC, Lauren worked seven years in local government serving the residents of the City of Norfolk and the City of Chattanooga. During her time in Norfolk, she developed and implemented an award-winning neighborhood revitalization strategy.
She has a Master of Public Administration from Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Angela D. Brooks, FAICP, serves as the Chief Housing and Urban Development Officer for the City of Philadelphia. Formerly, she served as the Director of the Illinois office of the Corporation for Supportive Housing and is the Immediate Past national president of the American Planning Association. With over two and a half decades of experience in urban planning, affordable housing, and community development, Brooks has established herself as a leading voice in housing policy and zoning reform.
In her previous role at the Corporation for Supportive Housing, Brooks oversaw training, lending, technical assistance, and systems change work throughout Illinois, prior to that she spent 10 years with the Chicago Housing Authority where she worked on the largest redevelopment of public housing in the United States.
As the Chief Housing and Urban Development Officer for Philadelphia, she leverages her extensive experience to address the city’s housing challenges and urban development needs.
Brooks previously served on influential boards and commissions, including the Chicago Board of Zoning Appeals, the Illinois Affordable Housing Advisory Commission, City of Seattle Planning Commission and King County Washington Boundary Review Board. She also served as the co-chair of the national Housing Supply Accelerator, working with communities nationwide to address housing needs. Her expertise is in housing policy and zoning reform.
A native of Seattle, Brooks holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Jackson State University and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans. She has dedicated her career to ensuring every human has a safe, decent, affordable place to not only call home, but to thrive. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Brooks is a kidney donor and passionate advocate working to increase minority organ donors.
Paul Young was sworn in as mayor of Memphis on January 1, 2024, with a commitment to creating a stronger, safer, and thriving community for all Memphians.
Paul A. Young is a Memphian, father of two, husband to Dr. Jamila Smith-Young, and son of Pastor Dianne Young and the late Bishop William Young of the Memphis Healing Center. Growing up in the Oakhaven neighborhood, Young learned at an early age that there were two Memphises – one ripe with opportunity and prosperity and another lacking resources and safe neighborhoods. Determined to bridge this divide, Young pursued a career focused on building a Memphis that works for every resident.
Young earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee, followed by a Master of Science in urban and regional planning and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Memphis.
Young has spent the last decade improving the quality of life in Memphis by advancing housing security and fostering healthy neighborhoods where families can thrive. As the President of the Downtown Memphis Commission and the former Director of Housing and Community Development for the City of Memphis, Young applied a holistic approach to unifying the city through public and private partnerships and targeted investments in our future.
He believes moving the city forward requires strategic investments in public safety, infrastructure, and the potential of our greatest asset – our people.
Jess Wunsch is the Director of City Engagement at the Housing Solutions Lab. Her work is focused on creating timely technical assistance and peer learning opportunities for municipal leaders across the country as they develop, implement, and evaluate equitable local housing policies. She currently leads a community of practice of 20 cities working to strengthen and scale local home repair programs.
Previously, she was a policy analyst at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and served as a Hatfield Fellow at the Oregon Department of Housing and Community Services. She has also held local government roles in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Greensboro, North Carolina. She earned graduate degrees in public policy and urban and regional planning from the University of Michigan.
Laurie Goodman is an Institute Fellow at the Urban Institute. She founded the Housing Finance Policy Center at Urban in 2013, and was its Director or Co-Director from 2013-2021. This Center provides policymakers with data-driven analyses of housing finance policy issues that they can depend on for relevance, accuracy, and independence.
Prior to joining Urban in 2013, Laurie spent 30 years as a mortgage-backed securities analyst and research department manager at a number of Wall Street firms, including Amherst Securities Group, LP, where she developed a reputation for her analysis of housing policy issues, and UBS, where she was a top ranked research analyst. She began her career as a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Laurie serves on the Board of Directors of MFA Financial and Arch Capital Group Ltd and on the Advisory Board of Estately; she is also a consultant to The Amherst Group. She has published more than 250 articles in professional and academic journals and co-authored/co-edited five books. She has a BA in Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania, and an AM and PhD in Economics from Stanford University.
Freyja Sutherland Harris is a mission-driven executive leader with more than two decades of experience advancing equitable, scalable solutions across nonprofit, philanthropic, government, and academic institutions. Her work centers on designing and leading programs that deliver measurable outcomes, align mission with financial sustainability, and create lasting system-level change, particularly in housing stability, economic mobility, and community well-being.
Currently, Freyja serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Coalition for Home Repair, where she leads national strategy, program development, and impact measurement efforts. In this role, she oversees $2 million in HUD funding supporting home repairs and accessibility modifications for veterans and older adults, while guiding advocacy, research, and cross-sector partnerships to elevate home repair as a critical component of sustainable homeownership.
Maryrose Myrtetus is the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Green Capital Corp. (PGCC), a green bank anchored in Philadelphia and operating throughout the state. PGCC is an affiliate of the Philadelphia Energy Authority, with which it administers Built to Last – Philadelphia’s whole home repair program. PGCC also offers a variety of loan products, including predevelopment funds, bridge loans, and permanent financing for projects that increase renewable energy generation or reduce energy use.
Maryrose has a background in renewable energy finance, corporate strategy, government, and public policy. She holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA from Vassar College.
Bio Coming Soon
With nearly two decades of experience in business, finance, and sales, Kimberly S. Hinton-Poole brings a results-driven, people-centered approach to leadership. A graduate of Troy University with a degree in Sport and Business Management, Kimberly began her career in banking and pharmaceutical sales, where she cultivated the skills that would define her professional journey: strategic thinking, a commitment to excellence, and an unwavering focus on impact.
In 2017, Kimberly transitioned to the nonprofit sector, joining NeighborWorks Columbus as a Housing Counselor. Her dedication to helping families achieve financial stability quickly set her apart, and by 2019, she earned the designation of HUD Certified Housing Counselor. Recognized for her deep understanding of the homeownership landscape, she was promoted to Director of Housing Counseling and Lending, and in 2022, she advanced to the role of Deputy Director.
As Deputy Director, Kimberly played a critical role in organizational strategy, operational effectiveness, and cross-departmental collaboration. Her ability to balance visionary leadership with practical execution has helped position NeighborWorks Columbus as a leader in affordable housing solutions.
Kimberly is a passionate advocate for financial literacy and believes deeply in its power to transform lives and strengthen communities. She has empowered hundreds of families to build lasting financial security through homeownership education and counseling, affirming her belief that informed communities are resilient communities.
In 2025, following a unanimous vote by the NeighborWorks Columbus Board of Directors, Kimberly was named President and Chief Executive Officer. Her appointment reflects not only her deep institutional knowledge but also her reputation as a mission-driven, outcome-focused leader.
Beyond her professional achievements, Kimberly is a devoted wife and proud mother of two. She brings to her leadership role the same dedication and compassion that define her family life.
Kimberly S. Hinton-Poole is a powerful example of how purpose-driven leadership can uplift communities, empower individuals, and drive systemic change.
Shannon Ross has been with Housing Partnership Network (HPN) since February 2015. As Vice President, Policy, Shannon leads HPN’s Washington, DC based Policy team. Shannon shapes and advocates for policies to expand and support the affordable housing and community development work of HPN’s 100+ members.
Immediately prior to joining HPN, Shannon was the Vice President, Public Policy for Opportunity Finance Network, the leading national network of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) where she lobbied on issues involving the CDFI Fund and affordable housing.
Shannon has also previously worked as a congressional staffer for the Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs and Congressman John Tierney (D-MA) and practiced law at the Washington DC office of O’Melveny and Myers LLP.
Shannon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University and a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Matt Josephs is the Senior Vice President for Policy for The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). LISC is a national non-profit organization that provides financial investments, policy support, and technical and management experience to local community development organizations to help them to transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy and sustainable communities. As the SVP for Policy, Matt is responsible for developing LISC’s federal policy agenda; communicating this agenda to LISC employees, board members, funders, and other stakeholders; and pursuing this agenda through engagement with members of Congress and other Federal officials.
Matt joined LISC in March of 2012 after serving for 13 years at the Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund — most recently as Senior Advisor for Policy, where he was responsible for coordinating policy development and implementation across the CDFI Fund’s programs, as well as planning and implementing new initiatives and interagency partnerships. Matt also served for six years as the Program Manager of the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program, which to date has facilitated over $130 billion of private sector investments into businesses and real estate projects in the nations’ most distressed rural and urban communities.
Prior to joining the CDFI Fund, Matt served as professional staff for the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, where his portfolio of issues included public and assisted housing programs, homeless programs, FHA insurance, and HUD reform. Matt also served as a policy analyst with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s office of Public and Indian Housing.
Matt received a BA in Political Science from Emory University, and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley.
Keenan Yates is the Sr. Director of Capital Programs & NMTC Investments at Habitat for Humanity International’s (HFHI) Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Habitat Capital (HCap) where he advances Habitat’s efforts to attract and deploy capital to accelerate the production of affordable housing and community development across the country. He oversees the market-facing and programmatic aspects of HCap’s capital solutions and oversees Habitat’s New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) business line. His primary responsibilities include business development, sourcing and executing investments, client service and advisory program strategy and operations.
Mr. Yates has been with HFHI for 13 years and has gained over 15 years of experience in housing and community development finance at various organizations, including HFHI, Atlanta Beltline, Inc., National Low Income Housing Coalition and Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. Keenan earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a focus in Finance from Morehouse College and a Master of City & Regional Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology.
With nearly two decades of experience in business, finance, and sales, Kimberly S. Hinton-Poole brings a results-driven, people-centered approach to leadership. A graduate of Troy University with a degree in Sport and Business Management, Kimberly began her career in banking and pharmaceutical sales, where she cultivated the skills that would define her professional journey: strategic thinking, a commitment to excellence, and an unwavering focus on impact.
In 2017, Kimberly transitioned to the nonprofit sector, joining NeighborWorks Columbus as a Housing Counselor. Her dedication to helping families achieve financial stability quickly set her apart, and by 2019, she earned the designation of HUD Certified Housing Counselor. Recognized for her deep understanding of the homeownership landscape, she was promoted to Director of Housing Counseling and Lending, and in 2022, she advanced to the role of Deputy Director.
As Deputy Director, Kimberly played a critical role in organizational strategy, operational effectiveness, and cross-departmental collaboration. Her ability to balance visionary leadership with practical execution has helped position NeighborWorks Columbus as a leader in affordable housing solutions.
Kimberly is a passionate advocate for financial literacy and believes deeply in its power to transform lives and strengthen communities. She has empowered hundreds of families to build lasting financial security through homeownership education and counseling, affirming her belief that informed communities are resilient communities.
In 2025, following a unanimous vote by the NeighborWorks Columbus Board of Directors, Kimberly was named President and Chief Executive Officer. Her appointment reflects not only her deep institutional knowledge but also her reputation as a mission-driven, outcome-focused leader.
Beyond her professional achievements, Kimberly is a devoted wife and proud mother of two. She brings to her leadership role the same dedication and compassion that define her family life.
Kimberly S. Hinton-Poole is a powerful example of how purpose-driven leadership can uplift communities, empower individuals, and drive systemic change.
Elayne Weiss serves as the Senior Policy Advisor for Federal Financing and Housing at the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). Elayne brings over a decade of experience in housing policy, government relations, and federal advocacy. Prior to joining NAR, she held senior roles at HUD, where she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and as a senior advisor to the Federal Housing Commissioner. She also served as the Director of Housing, Community Development, and Insurance Policy for the House Financial Services Committee, where she developed several federal programs and policies passed into law, including emergency rental assistance and legislation to improve access to housing vouchers. Elayne also held positions at the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union. She holds a JD from Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law and a BA from Brandeis University.
Sarah Brundage is the President and CEO of the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders (NAAHL). Prior to NAAHL, Sarah served at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as the Senior Advisor for Housing Supply and Infrastructure in the Office of the Secretary and as General Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations. She also served as a senior policy advisor on the White House Domestic Policy Council. Prior to HUD, Sarah was the Senior Policy Director at Enterprise Community Partners, where she co-led the national ACTION Campaign to strengthen and expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
Michael Kelley is a senior director with BPC Action. Prior to joining BPC Action in January 2021, he worked for more than three years in various roles at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
During his tenure at HUD, Kelley served in the Office of Congressional Relations in several capacities as deputy assistant secretary for congressional relations, general deputy assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental relations, and finally as acting assistant secretary. In these roles, he was the principal advisor to the secretary, deputy secretary, and senior department officials on all matters pertaining to Congress and state and local governments.
Previously, Kelley worked as deputy chief of staff and legislative director to former Representative Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) managing Rep. Stutzman’s work on the House Committees on Financial Services and Budget, as well as a legislative assistant to former Representative Steve Buyer (R-IN) managing Rep. Buyer’s work on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in the areas of commerce, trade, and consumer protection. He also has extensive experience in the government and legislative relations world, having worked for the Natural Products Association, Mayer Brown, and the Moffett Group.
A native of Virginia, Kelley has a B.A. in History from the University of Virginia.
Nikitra Bailey serves as the executive vice president of the National Fair Housing Alliance® (NFHA™). She leads NFHA’s Public Policy division and provides oversight over Communications and Marketing, Education and Outreach, and Resource Development. Ms. Bailey develops and spearheads visionary, transformational policies, and communications strategies to implement NFHA’s mission of eliminating all forms of housing discrimination and ensuring everyone has safe, decent, affordable housing in well-resourced, opportunity-rich communities free from bias. She also provides thought leadership that supports NFHA’s over 170 Member organizations. Her work has advanced fair housing and lending opportunities for millions of people throughout the nation.
Prior to joining NFHA, she served as an executive vice president at the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), a research and policy advocacy organization that seeks to build a fairer and more inclusive financial services marketplace. CRL is an affiliate of one of the nation’s largest community development financial institutions (CDFIs), Self-Help. At CRL, Ms. Bailey advanced national and state public policy reforms creating access to safe and responsible credit on affordable terms for individuals and communities traditionally underserved by the banking system, especially people of color and women. She directed CRL’s mortgage policy advocacy; managed resource development; and served as the principal strategist for coalition partnerships that span civil rights, faith, women, labor, and community advocates throughout the nation. She played a key role in helping to secure passage of the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; reforming the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program to equitably serve all small businesses; and securing $10 billion in the American Rescue Plan Act’s Homeowner Assistance Fund to provide relief for homeowners hardest-hit by COVID-19.
Ms. Bailey co-leads the Black Homeownership Collaborative’s work stream on fair housing and consumer protection and co-chairs the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Fair Housing and Lending Task Force. She was recently appointed by Gov. Josh Stein to serve as a member of the North Carolina Credit Union Commission. She serves on the board of directors of the National Institute of Minority Economic Development, and she was appointed as an inaugural member of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Federal Advisory Committee on Affordable, Equitable, and Sustainable Housing. She served on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Community Advisory Board from 2018-2021. The Washingtonian Magazine recognized her as one of the 500 Most Influential People shaping policy in Washington, DC. Ms. Bailey is an author of numerous reports and articles on predatory lending and fair housing and a frequent media contributor. She has provided expert testimony to the U.S. Congress on a range of fair and affordable housing issues and the reform of the Government Sponsored Enterprises.
Ms. Bailey holds a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and a B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University.
For more information on the conference, sponsorship opportunities, and federal reporting concerns, please send an e-mail to Bernadette Jones.
