Connect, learn, and get inspired with us at Oregon’s biggest housing conference.
The Housing Oregon 2026 Conference and Awards Gala is happening at the Oregon Convention Center on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 28 and 29. It’s a once-a-year chance to connect with colleagues from across the state for two days of education, inspiration, and connection.
We’re organizing informative presentations you won’t want to miss. Scroll down for a quick list — and keep scrolling for complete descriptions.
Session times and locations are subject to change. Find the latest updates at https://housingoregon.org/conference/.
Stop by our sponsor booth and say hello!
Presented/Co-presented by HDC
Your Property Is a Teenager, Now What? How Asset Management and Development Can Prepare for Future Milestones, Part 1
Mon., Sept. 28, 9:00 – 10:15 AM, Room E141-44
Your Property Is a Teenager, Now What? Asset Managers and Developers Share Case Studies from Project Milestones, Part 2
Mon., Sept. 28, 10:30 – 11:45 AM, Room E141-44
Lunch Keynote Presentation: Stabilizing Our Portfolios – From Data to Action
Mon., Sept. 28, 12:00 – 1:45 PM, Exhibit Hall E
Best Practices in Affordable Housing Property Management in Oregon
Tue., Sept. 29, 9:00 – 10:15 AM, Room E147-8
Featuring HDC Staff
Secrets Unlocked! Risk Mitigation Programs - Level 2 - Claim Form Mania
Mon., Sept. 28, 9:00 – 10:15 AM, Room F152
Portfolio Trends and Asset Management: What the Data Is Telling Us
Mon., Sept. 28, 2:00 – 3:15 PM, Room E141-44
Changing Property Management – What Do We Need To Know?
Tue., Sept. 29, 2:00 – 3:15 PM, Room F150-151
More Details
Your Property Is a Teenager, Now What? How Asset Management and Development Can Prepare for Future Milestones, Part 1
Monday, September 28
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM Room: E141-44
Description: As affordable housing properties approach key lifecycle milestones—such as LIHTC Year 15, loan maturities, and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract expirations—owners often face fragmented decision-making across asset management, development, and financing functions. With a coordinated, forward-looking strategy, properties can capture opportunities to optimize capital structure, preserve affordability, and align operational performance with long-term ownership goals.
Participants will leave with a framework for how asset management and development teams can proactively plan ahead of major property milestones, using tools like capital needs assessments, reserve strategies, and NOI forecasting to inform refinancing, recapitalization, or redevelopment decisions. They will also understand how to operationally and financially position their property for lender and investor conversations, from strategically managing NOI and aligning rent and expense strategies with future financing scenarios to bringing the right data to the table when evaluating refinancing or redevelopment pathways.
Tracks: Affordable Rental Housing – Preservation & Portfolio Stabilization; Property & Asset Management
Host Organization: Housing Development Center
Presenters:
Travis Phillips, Director of Real Estate Development, Housing Development Center
Liz Winchester, Senior Asset Management Project Manager, Housing Development Center
Ann Remmers, Executive Director, Network For Oregon Affordable Housing
Secrets Unlocked! Risk Mitigation Programs – Level 2 – Claim Form Mania
Monday, September 28
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM Room: F152
Description: At last year’s conference, Program Administrators from Portland Housing Bureau (PHB), Housing Development Center (HDC), Homeless Services Department (HSD) and Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) shared distinguishing attributes and applicability criteria for the Permanent Supportive Housing Risk Mitigation Pools offered by PHB, HSD, and OHCS. This session aims to bring together the different Risk Mitigation programs once again to offer an in-depth informative session regarding the available program including changes to the claim process. The panel will show examples of eligible costs and offer data collected from the programs. The panel will also include stories from successful claimants who have utilized funding. Additional resources will be provided after the session to assist and guide potential applicants through the process of applying for the right Risk Mitigation Pool program
Tracks: Permanent Supportive Housing
Host Organization: Multnomah County – Homeless Services Department
Presenters:
Martha Tena-Lopez, PSH Program Specialist, OHCS
Maryam Alshaiji Hill, Associate Asset Management Project Manager, Housing Development Center
Lindsay Brown, Housing Portfolio Finance Coordinator, Portland Housing Bureau
Erin Goldwater, Program Specialist Senior, Homeless Services Dept., Multnomah County
Your Property Is a Teenager, Now What? Asset Managers and Developers Share Case Studies from Project Milestones, Part 2
Monday, September 28
Time: 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM Room: E141-44
Description: As affordable housing properties approach key lifecycle milestones—such as LIHTC Year 15, loan maturities, and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract expirations—owners often face fragmented decision-making across asset management, development, and other functions. With a coordinated, forward-looking strategy, properties can capture opportunities to optimize capital structure, preserve affordability, and align operational performance with long-term ownership goals.
Participants will gain practical insights from project examples that illustrate how owners navigated milestone-driven decisions—such as recapitalizations, resyndications, refinancing, and redevelopment—and how their choices tangibly affected property performance and ownership outcomes. Attendees will leave with improved awareness of common pitfalls and a clearer understanding of approaches that other owners have successfully used to align asset management strategy, development timing, and funder expectations to achieve desired results.
Tracks: Affordable Rental Housing – Preservation & Portfolio Stabilization; Property & Asset Management
Host Organization: Housing Development Center
Presenters:
Liz Winchester, Senior Asset Management Project Manager, Housing Development Center
Travis Phillips, Director of Real Estate Development, Housing Development Center
Brian Shelton-Kelley, Director, Real Estate Development, Hacienda CDC
Lunch Keynote Presentation: Stabilizing Our Portfolios – From Data to Action
Monday, September 28
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:45 PM Room: Exhibit Hall E
Description: Oregon’s affordable housing portfolio faces urgent operational instability — and the time is now to move from diagnosis to action. This plenary opens with new national research from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco on the state of affordable housing portfolios nationwide. Then we get to work.
Panelists will share what it is like on the ground for owners right now, current efforts and emerging recommendations from a working group focused on the actions we can take now to preserve at-risk affordable homes for the Oregonians who live there, and the view from the state of Oregon on how to respond. The panel will conclude with a candid conversation about the solutions that will create stable and thriving affordable housing communities throughout Oregon in the decades to come.
Moderator:
Traci Manning, Executive Director, Housing Development Center
Panelists:
Elizabeth Kneebone, Assistant Vice President of Research, Community Engagement and Analysis, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Margaret Salazar, CEO, REACH Community Development
Councilor Christine Lewis, Metro Council District 2, Supportive Housing Services Regional Policy and Oversight Committee
Natasha Detweiler-Daby, Director Affordable Rental Housing, Oregon Housing and Community Services
Representative Pam Marsh, Oregon House District 5, Chair of the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness
Portfolio Trends and Asset Management: What the Data Is Telling Us
Monday, September 28
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM Room: E141-44
Description: This session offers a comprehensive examination of current trends shaping affordable housing portfolio performance and asset management practice through portfolio data analysis. Presenters will provide an overview of the current state of the portfolio, highlight active asset management efforts underway, and outline strategic next steps for strengthening performance and managing risk. Drawing on data driven analysis, the session will explore the factors influencing property health. Attendees will leave this session with a stronger understanding of operating trends in Oregon and practical frameworks for translating performance data into informed decision-making.
Tracks: Affordable Rental Housing – Preservation & Portfolio Stabilization; Property & Asset Management
Host Organization: Network For Oregon Affordable Housing
Presenters:
Rachel Bidou, Deputy Director, Network For Oregon Affordable Housing
Liz Winchester, Senior Asset Management Project Manager, Housing Development Center
Elizabeth Kneebone, Assistant Vice President of Research, Community Engagement and Analysis, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Best Practices in Affordable Housing Property Management
Tuesday, September 29
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM Room: F150-151
Description: The new $3.3 million statewide funding initiative Resources for Asset Management and Property Support (RAMPS) provides resources to improve property health and resident well-being in Oregon’s affordable housing. A portion of the funds ($2 million) will be used to measurably improve occupancy rates, expedite move-ins, prevent evictions, reduce residential turnover and enhance the well-being of residents. Property management staff are responsible for ensuring these measurable outcomes happen, no matter the financial health of properties. This panel discussion, moderated by a RAMPS project manager at HDC, will include panelists representing both property management firms and organizations that self-manage their portfolios. The discussion will center around the challenging environment of affordable housing property management, what’s being done to stabilize properties, and how the panelists could utilize RAMPS funds to improve occupancy and reduce residential turnover. Best practices will be reviewed, including details on appropriate staffing and training needs.
Tracks: Affordable Rental Housing – Preservation & Portfolio Stabilization; Property & Asset Management
Host Organization: Housing Development Center
Moderator: Brooks Nelson, Senior Project Manager - RAMPS, Housing Development Center
Presenters:
Cara Carter, Director of Real Estate Operations, Housing Authority of Jackson County
Kelly Paine, Senior Regional Property Manager, Guardian Real Estate Services LLC
Maria Elena Guerra, Executive Director, Farmworker Housing Development Corporation & Evolve
Nicole Loun, Regional Property Manager, Cushman & Wakefield
Changing Property Management – What Do We Need To Know?
Tuesday, September 29
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM Room: F150-151
Description: Community Partners for Affordable Housing changed property management companies at two buildings in early 2026. One is a 100% supportive housing community in downtown Portland, the other a large family community in Tualatin. Come hear from us and asset management experts about our experiences, what we learned, and how to make your next management change as smooth as possible. We will also look forward to hearing from the audience about their own experiences.
Tracks: Property & Asset Management
Host Organization: Community Partners for Affordable Housing
Moderator: Rachael Duke, Executive Director, Community Partners for Affordable Housing
Presenters:
Jilian Saurage Felton, Housing Director, Community Partners for Affordable Housing
Katherine Moore, Director of Programs, Community Partners for Affordable Housing
Holly Benelli, Senior Asset Management Project Manager, Housing Development Center
Andrea Kirch, Senior Asset Manager, Enterprise Community