2015 Maryland Housing Conference Will Focus on the Future of Homeownership, Affordable Rental Housing and Redevelopment in Maryland

Conference will recognize Maryland’s Outstanding Realtors and Real Estate Agencies

A stronger housing market encourages families to establish roots in Maryland through homeownership and build a lasting financial legacy for their children.

BALTIMORE – The future of Maryland’s housing industry – and by extension the future of Maryland’s economy – will be the focus on Wednesday when the 2015 Maryland Housing Conference gets underway at the Baltimore Hilton.

Through workshops, seminars and keynote addresses from industry leaders, the one-day conference hosted by the Maryland Building Industry Association will examine financing, development and affordability of single family and multifamily housing. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development is lead sponsor.

This year’s theme, “Housing Maryland’s Future,” complements Governor Larry Hogan’s vision of changing Maryland for the better by growing a healthy housing market that invigorates the economy, generate jobs and stabilizes neighborhoods and communities. The conference comes as residential construction continues to lead job creation and economic recovery in Maryland.

Also at the conference, the top producing realtor agencies and individual realtors for the Maryland Mortgage Program for Fiscal Year 2015 will receive the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Commitment to Excellence Award. The awards recognize their commitment and significant contributions to the success of the Maryland Mortgage Program, the state’s flagship homeownership program that in 2015 saw its best performance in many years.

Bringing together housing advocates, community development leaders, housing authorities, home builders, developers, lenders and legislators, the conference is the largest and most comprehensive forum of its kind in the state. The all-day conference offers the opportunity for leaders to facilitate a dialogue on solutions and opportunities for Maryland families to achieve their dreams of homeownership.

The event will feature remarks by Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Kenneth C. Holt, and Deputy Secretary Ellington Churchill, Jr. as well as Maryland Department of Planning Secretary David Craig.

Tom Bozzuto, chairman and co-founder of The Bozzuto Group, a Maryland-based real estate organization, will deliver the keynote address during the luncheon session.

James Tobin, executive vice president for the National Association of Home Builders will lead the legislative roundtable to address policy issues impacting housing and community development programs in Maryland. Jamie Gregory, vice president for the National Association of REALTORS and Jane Vincent, regional administrator of the mid-Atlantic region for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are also on the roundtable.

Conference workshops and seminars will be divided along three tracks “New Housing,” “Redevelopment” and “Affordable Housing.”

Visit www.marylandbuilders.org to learn more about the conference. Follow along Twitter and Facebook using #MDHOUSINGCON2015 for live updates throughout the day.

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