Preserving What We’ve Built: The Urgent Role of Community Developers in Saving Affordable Housing

Monday, October 6, 2025

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM ET

Location: Federal B

Speaker(s)

Carolyn Placke

Director of Housing
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Daniel Swain

Program Officer
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Solomon Greene

Executive Director, Land and Communities
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Carmen Lopez Murguia

Executive Director
Westside Housing Organization
Johnette Brown

Senior Director
Urban League of Greater Atlanta

As the national conversation in housing shifts toward new construction, a critical threat looms: the deterioration and loss of existing affordable rental housing. This session will elevate the growing crisis of at-risk affordable units and spotlight the essential and often-overlooked role that community development organizations play in preserving them.

Participants will engage with data illustrating the scope of the preservation crisis and learn about real-world tools and strategies already being deployed. We will explore financing mechanisms, capacity-building investments, and policy frameworks that center community ownership, resident stability, and organizational sustainability.

This session is a must for practitioners, policymakers, and funders committed to safeguarding community-based assets and ensuring that existing affordable housing remains a cornerstone of neighborhood stability and prosperity.