Former Senator Kit Bond joined the BPC Housing Commission and the Jack Kemp Foundation in holding a public forum in St. Louis to discuss the importance of public-private partnerships in addressing the nation’s housing challenges.

“Too many Americans remain trapped in unaffordable or unsafe housing, yet with scarce federal resources and partisan gridlock in Washington any real solution may seem impossible. That is why I am so proud to showcase St. Louis’ many success stories, proving that bipartisan, innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors can transform neighborhoods and revitalize our communities,” said Senator Bond, a co-chair of BPC’s Housing Commission.

The all-day event featured Representatives Lacy Clay (D-MO) and Russ Carnahan (D-MO), Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President and CEO James Bullard and St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley. Local and national housing experts also spoke about the need for comprehensive resident services, homebuyer education programs, and rental housing preservation to protect and support renters and homeowners going forward.

At the forum, BPC released a new paper entitled, Housing Programs in the United States: Responding to Current and Future Challenges, which provides an overview of key challenges related to affordable housing and community development and the government programs meant to address these challenges. The paper provides additional background for the commission as they work to develop recommendations for meeting the housing needs of current and future low- and moderate-income families.

Read the full press release here.

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Read the Report: Housing Programs in the United States: Responding to Current and Future Challenges

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Featuring

Senator Christopher S. “Kit” Bond
Co-Chair, Bipartisan Policy Center Housing Commission
Former United States Senator

James Bullard
President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Video

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Follow the discussion on Twitter: @BPC_Bipartisan #BPCHousing

Agenda

8:30AM - 9:00AM
Breakfast and Registration

9:00AM - 9:30AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks

• Senator Kit Bond, Co-Chair, BPC Housing Commission
• Congressman Lacy Clay, (D-MO)
• Congressman Russ Carnahan, (D-MO)

9:30AM - 10:15AM
Panel Discussion: Improving Outcomes: Models for Linking Housing and Services

Introduction: St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley

Moderator: Marilyn Jordan Taylor, BPC Housing Commissioner

• Chris Krehmeyer, President and CEO, Beyond Housing
• Richard Baron, Co-Founder and Chairman, McCormack Baron Salazar

10:15AM - 10:30AM
Break

10:30AM - 11:15AM
Panel Discussion: Measuring Success: The Promise of Housing Counseling Programs

Moderator: Robert Couch, BPC Housing Commissioner

• Eileen Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer, NeighborWorks America
• Sarah Gerecke, Senior Policy Advisor, Department of Housing and Urban Development

11:15AM - 12:00PM
Open Public Forum

Jimmy Kemp, President, The Jack Kemp Foundation

12:00PM - 1:15PM
Lunch

1:15PM - 2:00PM
Remarks: James Bullard, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

• View presentation slides

2:00PM - 3:00PM
Panel Discussion: Best practices in rental housing preservation

Moderator: Renée Lewis Glover, BPC Housing Commissioner

• Michael Bodaken, Executive Director, National Housing Trust
• Erica Dobreff, President, Kansas City Equity Fund
• Patricia Belden, Manager of Development, Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH)

3:00PM - 3:15PM
Open Public Forum

Jimmy Kemp, President, The Jack Kemp Foundation

3:15PM - 3:30PM
Closing Remarks
Senator Kit Bond, Co-Chair, BPC Housing Commission

Read the Report: Housing Programs in the United States: Responding to Current and Future Challenges

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BPC's Housing Commission aims to reform the nation's housing policy by crafting a package of realistic and actionable recommendations that consider the near-term and address the long-term challenges facing the country.

For more information on past and upcoming regional forums, click here.

For more information on the Jack Kemp Foundation, click here.

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Related Reading

• Report: Housing Programs in the United States: Responding to Current and Future Challenges
• Former Senator Kit Bond, Bipartisan Policy Center, Jack Kemp Foundation Host Housing Forum in St. Louis Featuring Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard
• Housing Expert Forum: What can we learn from current or previous efforts to link evidence-based outcomes to policy or program development (in the housing sector or elsewhere)?

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Housing Commission