NCSHA Honors Louisiana Housing Corporation for Connections Conference

The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) has recognized the Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) for outstanding work on its inaugural Connections conference, held in Baton Rouge in April. The national award acknowledges LHC’s commitment to helping elected leaders and housing professionals learn, share and develop effective initiatives that address affordable housing challenges.

“State housing finance agencies are at the center of the affordable housing system, and these award-winning initiatives epitomize the creativity they are bringing to meet America’s housing challenges,” NCSHA Executive Director Stockton Williams says.

The 2019 Connections conference was the first of its kind in Louisiana, offering participants
the opportunity to connect with a diverse group of professionals and advocates from across the state and nation. It featured six conference tracks and attracted 500 attendees from 50 of the state’s parishes.

“We are honored by this national recognition,” LHC Executive Director E. Keith Cunningham, Jr. says. “It confirms that we are on the path to helping Louisianians access affordable housing by better connecting housing professionals and leaders in the public and private sectors across our state.”

LHC is proud to announce that its 2020 Connections conference will take place April 1-3 at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Baton Rouge. Here’s what moves us forward.

Affordable housing is the cornerstone of a healthy, vibrant community. But community doesn’t exist without connections. “Building those communities starts with us,” Cunningham says. “The Connections conference is the first step toward bringing together public servants, lenders, developers and leaders to create thriving communities in our state.”

LHC has a history of providing access to safe, affordable housing through development and funding, and the success of the inaugural Connections conference strengthens this commitment. By forming an interconnected community across the state, we harness the power of many for the good of all.

“These connections lay the foundation for a strong community,” says Na’Tisha Natt, LHC’s director of public affairs. “As we anticipate our 2020 Connections conference, we look forward to working with the leaders in our community to tackle the housing challenges we face to create stronger, thriving communities.”

The 2020 Connections conference will feature six interconnected conference tracks, on topics including finding solutions for homelessness, supporting energy-efficient housing and developing communities. Each of these areas is intrinsically connected, forming the building blocks of affordable housing solutions.

“It is impossible to move forward without considering the interconnectedness of each and every issue related to housing expenses,” Natt says.

By bringing together hundreds of representatives and community members from across the state, we look forward to our collective efforts finding better, more innovative and more efficient solutions.

We would like to thank everyone who made our first Connections conference possible, especially our speakers, attendees, board of directors and employees. And we extend a special thanks to Gov. John Bel Edwards, our keynote speaker NFL Veteran and Hall-of-Famer Aeneas Williams, and all of our sponsors: Atmos Energy, Hancock Whitney, Raymond James, Fairfield Property Management, Entergy, Standard Enterprises, Latter & Blum, Red River Bank, Standard Mortgage, HDS Cos., EBR Parish Housing Authority, Government Consultants, HRI, George K. Baum and Co., Enterprise, BGC Advantage, Franklin Associates, LDG Development, Stifel, Liberty Bank, Rainwater Consulting, Chase, Louisiana Realtors, Compass Group, FHL Bank Dallas, Policy Map, Blue Cross Blue Shield, LAAHP, Essent, LAHMA, DOZ, LAMP, Investar, Churchill Stateside Group, Home Bank, Providence Community Housing, Little & Associates, Eco Tech, MGIC and NDC Asset Management.

Community starts with you. Will you join us to work toward making affordable housing the cornerstone of healthy, vibrant communities in our state?

Find registration and sponsorship information here.