Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / April 28, 2011, edition 1 / Page 2
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Still the American Dream? Events educate first-time homebuyers, real estate community BY LAYLA FARMER THE CHRONICLE Fair and affordable hous ing was the topic of conver sation last Thursday at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Housing professionals from across the state gathered for "The State of Fair and Affordable Housing 2011" summit, and later the "American Dream Weekend Affordable Housing Expo." The summit, now in its seventh year, is designed to educate housing profession als about changes in the industry and encourage com munication and collaboration among the various sectors of the professional housing community, explained Wanda Allen-Abraha, director of the Human Relations Commission / Human Relations Department for the City of Winston-Salem, which organizes the annual event. "We got started because we noticed there was this huge communication gap between housing profession als in Winston-Salem," Allen-Abraha said. "Nobody really knew what the other ones were doing, but yet we were all working towards the same common goal." Mayor Allen Joines makes an appearance at the event every year. "Certainly, we want to make sure that all of our cit izens have accessibility to affordability as well as being treated fairly in the housing market," he said of his moti vation to attend. "I always try to support it because it's something that's important to me, to make sure that our citizens are being treated fair ly" N.C. Housing Coalition Executive Director Chris Estes served as moderator for the summit's panel discus sion, which included input from D. Ritchie Brooks, director of Community and Business Development for the City of Winston-Salem, Keir Morton-Manley, pro gram director for the N.C. Housing Finance Agency (HFA) and David Youngblood, FHEO director for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The panelists discussed changes in the fair housing market and the challenges their respective agencies face in trying to secure affordable housing for their clients. Estes said federal budget cuts have not been kind to organ izations that work to ensure affordable housing for all. "Part of our frustration and tragedy is seeing housing programs and funding cut at the national level, just at the time when it's needed the most," Estes said. Morton-Manley said some potential homeowners are what she calls "buyer shy" and may require some coaxing because of the hous ing crisis and all the negative press the housing market has received in recent years. Brooks said foreclosures ---can often be prevented if agencies take steps to insure a potential buyer is indeed ready to take the plunge before helping them get into a home. "Everybody's not ready for homeownership when they think they want a home, so it's very important for us to educate folks on the responsibilities of owning a home," he stated. This was the first year that summit was held on the same day as the Affordable Housing Expo. Now in its eighth year, the Expo, which Photos by Lay la Farmer Above: Piedmont Federal's J. Robert Sanders Jr., center, receives a special recog nition honor from Wanda Allen-Abraha and Mayor Allen Joines. Right: Dr. Anthony Wade (left) and Willie Ratchford. Chris Estes is staged by the Winston Salem Regional Association of Realtors (WSRAR) brought together realtors, loan officers and housing agencies to educate first-time homebuyers about the process of purchasing a home. "It's the only time of the year that all these people are under one roof, so it's a great time to come out," said Heather Miller, marketing director for WSRAR. "It's a one stop learning process." Allen Tate Realtor Carolyn Woodard attended the summit for the third time this year. "I always like to try to find avenues for first time homebuyers to become homeowners and coming to the summit keeps me abreast of changes in the industry," she said. "It allows me to be educated as well as making the potential home buyer more aware of assistance that is out there and how to go about getting that assis tance/' Willie Ratchford. execu tive director of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee, and Dr. Anthony Wade, Greensboro's Human Relations director, come to the summit every year. Both of their respective commis sions sponsor the event. "The importance of this summit is that it highlights inclusionary business prac tices, which allow for all in divides to be able to enjoy the American Dream." commented Wade, who has attended the summit since he moved to Greensboro in 2007. "Certainly. Winston Salem has been a leader in this area for many years. This summit is a clear indi cation of the strong collabo ration between the city and the business community to continue to work together to ensure that quality of life for all Winston-Salem residents is second to none." Panelist K e i r M orton M an I e y makes a point during the dis cussion. f^Need inspiration? ^ Join Leadership Winston-Salem and GET INSPIRED to serve the community. For more than 25 years, Leadership Winston-Salem has been educating, connecting and energizing leaders to serve and improve the community. Interested in learning more about this life-changing community leadership program? Visit www.leadershipws.org to register for the May 10th Information Webinar or to apply for the 2011-12 class. Application deadline is May 31st. ? A LEADERSHIP WINSTON-SALEI^-"" Igniting Community Leadership Recruiting Sponsor: "From our esteem-building Girls On The Run, to our many programs for women of all ages, races and origins, the Sara Lee Center for Women's Health helps thousands of women each year to prevent disease and improve their health. No one else in the community does what we do for women and girls." ? Nora Toncel Latino Qutrtach Coordinator Sara Lettenter for Women's Health K. MEDICAL CENTER CENTER FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH Celebrating 10 Years of Caring Pregnancy C?r* I Child Birth 1 Neonate! Intemivt Cue | Pediatric* Advanced GYN Svpry Community H~hh ft WeUnw
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