City to host affordable housing conference

A conference billed as the nation’s largest dealing with regional affordable housing issues will kick off Sunday at the Spokane Convention Center.

Housing Washington 2005 will last until Tuesday and address issues including raising money for affordable housing, managing properties, and designing better housing for senior citizens. Other topics include: how to end homelessness, housing construction that respects the environment and creating “urban villages.”

Keynote speakers include McGill University architect Avi Friedman who recently was named one of the 10 people “most likely to change the way we live,” by Wallpaper magazine. For two decades, Friedman has been developing innovative concepts for affordable housing.

Other speakers include Frank Nothaft, chief economist for Freddie Mac, Frances Fox Piven, a political science and sociology professor at City University of New York and Robert Rapoza, a professional lobbyist who specializes in federal housing and community development policy.

Full conference details are available by calling 1-800-767-HOME, ext. 773 or by visiting http://www.wshfc.org/conf.