SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program, severely shaken by the economic crisis that swept across the nation, is regaining its footing on a new foundation. With new rules and new expectations, affordable housing transactions have changed dramatically. Novogradac & Company LLP will explore these changes at its spring conference along with emerging patterns and trends, industry practices, and strategies for advancing projects in the "new normal." Working with LIHTCs in an ARRA World will be held at the LOEWS Hotel in New Orleans, La., May 13-14, 2010 and will feature two full days rich in education, discussion and networking, and will bring together hundreds of LIHTC practitioners, from novice to expert.
"As LIHTC professionals it is our responsibility to understand how the industry has changed and how we can modify our practices to ensure the continued development of affordable housing, which, in the aftermath of the economic recession, has become more important than ever," says George F. Littlejohn, conference chairman and partner in the Austin, Texas office of Novogradac & Company LLP. "This information-packed event, boasting an agenda filled with timely topics and frank discussions that are centered on the issues and challenges related to the LIHTC program, will give practitioners a chance to build on their existing knowledge while gaining a better grasp on how to capitalize on the new opportunities made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009."
Not just an overview of ARRA, the conference will provide attendees with targeted program analyses. Sessions will offer industry professionals a platform on which to exchange ideas and develop the skills necessary for working in today's challenging environment. Expert panelists will address specific issues, including dwindling investor numbers, developer innovation, and obtaining Exchange program and TCAP dollars.
Attendees will also hear from lenders about new underwriting practices and the outlook for 2010; explore the intricacies of working with HUD, including the pros and cons of insured mortgages; learn to identify preservation partners and overcome reuse issues when incorporating rehabilitation tax credits into a project; grasp new possibilities and opportunities; and examine active deals.
All conference participants are invited to attend a networking reception held Thursday, May 13 at the Contemporary Arts Center. The reception, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., encourages conference-goers to mix and mingle with colleagues and friends, discuss the details of the day's sessions and build new business partnerships.
For those attendees seeking CPE credit, the two-day event is worth 8 CPE credits.
Additionally, two pre-conference workshops, LIHTC Basics and Investor Basics, will be held Wednesday, May 12. The one-day LIHTC Basics course represents a total of 6 CPE credits and the half-day, Investor Basics course is worth 3 CPE credits. Registration is separate and optional. Additional fees apply.
An LIHTC Property Compliance Workshop will be held concurrently with the conference. The May 13 and 14 workshop will inform and refresh those property managers who want to learn and understand low-income housing tax credit compliance issues and concerns.
Working with LIHTCs in an ARRA World is co-hosted by Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP and is sponsored by Enterprise Community Partners Inc., Polsinelli Shughart PC, Prudential Financial and U.S. Bank.
Conference details and the complete conference agenda can be found at www.novoco.com/events.
Novogradac & Company LLP, a national certified public accounting and consulting firm headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., has consistently been named by Accounting Today and Public Accounting Report as one of the top accounting firms in the country. Inside Public Accounting named it as one of the 25 best managed accounting firms and the San Francisco Business Times recognizes it as one of only five companies that for five consecutive years has made its list of the Fastest Growing Companies in the Bay Area.
In addition to its San Francisco headquarters, the firm has offices in metro Atlanta, Ga., Washington, D.C. and Kansas City, Mo., as well as in Austin, Texas, Boston, Mass., Dover, Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio, Portland, Ore., New York, N.Y. and Long Beach, Calif. The firm maintains clients in a broad range of industries with major emphasis in the real estate sector, providing publicly and privately held national and multinational enterprises with a full spectrum of audit, tax, valuation, trust and litigation support, computer consulting and general consulting services.
Source: Novogradac & Company