When

Thursday, March 9, 2023 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM CST
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Where

Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service OR Zoom 
2301 S. University Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72204  

 
Driving Directions 

Contact

Terre McLendon, Secretary 
ACHANGE 
501-765-5958 
admin@achange.org 
 

The State of AffordableHousing in Arkansas 

Please join us in person or online for this convening to discuss the current condition of affordable housing in Arkansas. The meeting includes lunch, several informative speakers, an interactive session, and a special award presentation. You won't want to miss it! The fee for the event is $25 for nonmembers. You will be invoiced when you register.

 Featured Speakers


 

Candace Valenzuela, HUD Regional Administrator, Southwest Region

In April 2022, Candace Valenzuela was appointed by the Biden-Harris Administration to serve as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Regional Administrator in the Southwest Region.  As regional administrator, Candace Valenzuela is based in Fort Worth and oversees HUD operations, eight field offices and federal housing assistance throughout the five-state region, which covers Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.  She is a mother, an educator, and a former school board trustee. After becoming the first in her family to graduate college, Valenzuela has since devoted her life to fighting for opportunities for others. She first ran for her local school board to improve Texas schools, becoming the first Latina and first Black woman to serve on the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school board. 

Doug Ryan, Vice President, Policy & Applied Research, Prosperity Now

Doug has spent his career in the affordable housing, community development, and human services fields, with more than twenty years’ experience working in federal and local programs. Prior to joining Prosperity Now, Doug served as Assistant Director of Federal Programs at the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County, Maryland, a multifaceted housing provider, developer, and lender. Doug has extensive experience connecting research, data, and program evaluation to policy development.

Gabby Ross, Housing Advocacy Organizer, NLIHC

Gabby Ross is a housing advocacy organizer. Prior to joining NLIHC, Gabby was a housing stability specialist for a property management company in Washington DC, where she helped DC residents apply for emergency rental assistance. Previously, Gabby worked as a housing specialist at N Street Village for the Patricia Handy Place for Women shelter in Washington DC. 

Shamus Roller, Executive Director, National Housing Law Project

Shamus Roller has been the Executive Director of NHLP since November of 2016.  Before joining NHLP Shamus served as the Executive Director of Housing California, a statewide advocacy organization working on issues of housing and homelessness.  During his time at Housing California the organization’s advocacy led to over five billion dollars in new funding for affordable development and a host of new programs and policies. 

 

Special guest, Arkansas Senator Joyce Elliot,

Founder of Get Loud Arkansas!