What's Going On: Current Opportunities and Activities
December 2019
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus' Age-Friendly Communities Collaborative Meeting
In December 2019, Beth Dever from BRicK and Robyn Sandys from NWHP attended the first official meeting of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus' Age-Friendly Communities Collaborative The meeting included representatives from numerous Chicago-region communities, and featured discussions on local, state, and federal policy updates and senior initiatives in Arlington Heights, as well as the CAPABLE project.
October 2019
CAPABLE Program Updates
The CAPABLE program continues to accept new clients, and it recently expanded its service area to include Bellwood, Berwyn, Cicero, and Maywood. Robyn Sandys, Executive Director of the North West Housing Partnership, appeared on the Mighty House radio show in October 2019 to discuss CAPABLE.
October 17, 2019
Luncheon discussion on housing, development, and equity hosted by Housing Opportunities for Women
On Thursday, October 17, Housing Opportunities for Women (HOW) will host a luncheon featuring a panel discussion about housing, development, and equity. Robin Snyderman from BRicK will serve as one of the panelists at the mixed fundraiser/educational event that projects 100-150 attendees from corporate and individual sponsorships and ticket purchases. Other panelists include Katrina Van Valkenburgh from the Corporation for Supportive Housing and Tony Smith from PNC Bank, with HOW Board President James Fox of North Wells Capital moderating. The event is scheduled to take place at the Ivy Room at Tree Studios in Chicago from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
August 29, 2019
City of Kansas City Neighborhood Housing Department to host Fair Housing and Equality Summit
In Kansas City, MO, the city’s Neighborhood Housing and Human Relations Departments will hold a public Fair Housing and Equality Summit. National and local housing experts and speakers from the NAACP will present and run workshops on fair housing, homeownership, housing mobility, Section 3 programming, barriers in the housing market, and more. Representing BRicK Partners, Robin Snyderman will speak during the housing mobility section about providing technical assistance to ensure fair access to housing and promoting inclusion in high-opportunity areas that are proven to have better life outcomes for residents.
The summit is free to attend and includes parking and lunch, but attendees must pre-register by calling 816-513-3213 or emailing tawana.woodard@kcmo.org. Registration with continental breakfast begins at 8 a.m., and scheduled programming runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Kansas City Convention Center, Lobby 2200 located at 301 W. 13th St.
June 27, 2019
Breakfast Discussion with Chicago SRI/ESG Investors About Opportunity Zones
Karen Muchin of BRicK Partners spoke on a panel at a breakfast event for investment professionals interested in learning more about Opportunity Zones. Other panelists included Ben Bornstein from Arctaris Capital and Matt Reilein from the National Equity Fund.
The federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 created the so-called Opportunity Zones to encourage investments in low-income communities across the country to create jobs and businesses and to foster economic growth through tax incentives. Karen and the other guest speakers were invited to cover the reasoning for the creation and location of the Opportunity Zones, economic incentives, types of investments, and community impact. Read more about Opportunity Zones here. The Chicago SRI/ESG meetings pull together investors interested in socially responsible investing (SRI) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors of investment. The informational events occur once every quarter and are free to attend.
April 5, 2019
Innovation in Housing Investments Forum with Attorney General Kwame Raoul, hosted by Forefront
On April 5, the new Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and his staff joined BRicK Partners, a number of the original program Advisors and awardees, and other state leaders and national experts to review outcomes and lessons learned from the Community Revitalization and Housing Counseling Program. Particular attention focused on maintaining the momentum of this work and its tremendous overlap with Illinois’ Opportunity Zones. Slides used at the event are available here, and copies of the official report are available on our Write-ups page.
January 2018
Regional Housing Initiative (RHI) has operating subsidies available for competitive housing developments in metropolitan Chicago.
BRicK Partners is helping manage the RHI initiative with the region’s public housing authorities and other key partners. Launched by the Metropolitan Planning Council as a pilot more than 10 years ago, RHI is now moving forward under the leadership of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). In 2011, HUD funded a three year initiative focused on refining and expanding RHI, and now those lessons learned continue to be institutionalized as new tools to support CMAP’s GoTo2040 Plan. The final report on the pilot has been completed and submitted to HUD, and you can click here to download the report. Applications are rolling, except those pursuing RHI support for the State’s LIHTC Program. Applicants also seeking 9% LIHTCs for 2018 should email info@brickllc.com ASAP, and/or call Robin or Karen at 847-268-8633, to discuss the March 1, 2018 LIHTC application. Click here to learn more about RHI.
June 7, 2017
The New York University Furman Center hosted a forum "By the Numbers: Concentrated Poverty." BRicK’s Robin Snyderman served as a panelist discussing poverty and its spatial concentrations. The program ran from 4-6pm EST with a reception following from 6-7:30pm EST. Click here to see the video.
March 14, 2017
The annual Governor’s Housing Conference, co-hosted by the Illinois Housing Council and Illinois Housing Development Authority, will be held at the Hyatt on March 13 and March 14th. BRicK’s Robin Snyderman will serve as a panelist in the Policy Session on “Valuing Affordable Housing: The Impact and Benefits” from 2:30 to 4 on March 14. Click here to learn more.
March 7, 2017
As the Twin Cities LISC office hosts its fourth community forum on “Getting the Big Picture Right,” BRicK’s Robin Snyderman will serve as a panelist related to Mixed-Income and Transit-Oriented Development. Click here to learn more.
January 26, 2017
Karen Muchin of BRicK Partners moderated a panel to discuss the current outlook of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program and investor market during these times of uncertainty at the Illinois Housing Council's Networking Breakfast on 1/26/2017.
The Brookings Institution's Confronting Suburban Poverty in America, One Year In
In celebration of the one-year anniversary of the publication of Confronting Suburban Poverty in America, the Brookings Institution began publishing a series of practitioner briefs and case studies to provide a toolkit for practitioners across the country. Click here to access one of the briefs, written by BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman and Beth Dever, exploring the achievements of the two suburban housing collaboratives in Chicago's south suburbs and west Cook County. Click here for the Brookings Institution blog post highlighting lessons learned from leading innovators on confronting suburban poverty.
Karen Muchin and Robin Snyderman are assisting the Illinois Attorney General and her Advisory Council in facilitating this portion of the Illinois Bank Foreclosure Settlement program.
On July 17, 2013, Attorney General Lisa Madigan released this announcement and this more detailed report on organizations and entities awarded funds through the December 21 Request for Qualifications and Proposals. For more information on the July 17th press conference with the Attorney General, click here. Many of these awards are already up and running. For more information on next steps, please don't hesitate to call or email.
Looking Back: Out and About
September 28, 2016
BRicK Partners participated in the West Cook County Fair Housing Training, hosted by the Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance and the Oak Park Regional Housing Center. The training covered new HUD guidance on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, the County's new Tiered Compliance Model, and fair housing barriers and opportunities in West Cook County.
September 22, 2016
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) hosted an online webinar, following up on the practitioner convening for regional housing mobility programs and initiatives that took place at its headquarters in Washington, DC, in January 2016, to educate each other on strategies and best practices in creating a successful program. BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman moderated the panel discussion, including panelists such as Phil Tegeler of Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC), Daniel Rinzler of California Housing Partnership Corporation, Charles Homer of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Elizabeth Kneebone of the Brookings Institution.
April 22, 2016
The Illinois Association of Municipal Management Assistants (IAMMA) held its 20th annual conference, entitled Working Towards the Future Through Collaboration at Northeast Illinois University in Naperville. Breakout sessions discussed development of an IT consortium, collaboration during fiscal crisis, cost savings and consolidation, and BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman and Beth Dever led a discussion on building capacity through collaboration. Click here to learn more.
April 7, 2016
On April 7th and 8th, the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) held its annual spring meeting in Washington, D.C. BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman participated in a panel discussion with the Chicago Housing Authority and the Housing Authority of Cook County to highlight the Regional Housing Initiative as a catalyst for similar programs across the country. Click here to learn more.
March 31, 2016
The University of Chicago hosted the Midwest convening for the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, which will take place in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016. HUD is co-hosting five convenings around the country prior to the UN conference with three goals: 1) To provide an open forum to scholars, practitioners, philanthropy, students, and thought leaders for the sharing of local challenges and lessons learned in the last 20 years since Habitat II; 2) To stimulate dialogue about connections between local and global challenges, and uplift local practices to inform the U.S. policy agenda; and 3) To strengthen connections among urban development practitioners, scholars, and funders across the Midwestern region. BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman moderated a panel discussion on securing housing options for all. Click here to learn more.
February 23, 2016
Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings hosted an event to discuss renewed efforts to expand access to opportunity via housing and transportation. Brookings Vice President and Director of the Metropolitan Policy Program Amy Liu moderated a conversation between U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro and U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. The conversation was followed by a response panel of experts from metropolitan areas across the country, including BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman, who discussed local level impacts. Click here to learn more.
February 5, 2016
In St. Louis, MO, BRicK Partners participated in a presentation on the experiences of other cities in affirmatively furthering fair housing (AFFH) at a conference sponsored by the City's Civil Rights Enforcement Agency, entitled "Expanding opportunities and creating equity." The conference highlighted St. Louis's efforts to enforce new AFFH regulations and create a more equitable region. Click here to learn more.
January 27, 2016
Fair Housing considerations affect the location of affordable housing, funding criteria, architectural design criteria, and property management practices. BRicK Partners participated in a panel discussion on prioritizing locations for affordable housing at a seminar covering a myriad of fair housing topics. The seminar, sponsored by the Lightengale Group and aimed at housing developers, took place in downtown Chicago, and also covered the goals of fair housing, architectural requirements, and fair housing during operations and property management insurance coverage. Click here to learn more.
January 21-22, 2016
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) hosted a practitioner convening for regional housing mobility programs in Chicago, Rockford (IL), Baltimore, Twin Cities, Philadelphia, Denver, and St. Louis, at its headquarters in Washington, DC, to educate each other on strategies and best practices in creating a successful program. BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman presented, along with Jonathan Burch with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, on the topic of project-based voucher assistance. This session delved into what the Regional Housing Initiative has accomplished in the Chicago region, and presented it as an example of a best practice for the other programs in attendance. Click here to view the agenda and download materials from the convening.
July 16, 2015
More Choices for More Families: Sixth National Conference on Housing Mobility
With new and encouraging research evaluating the results of Moving to Opportunity, the timing could not have been better for the Chicago Region to host “More Choices for More Families: Sixth National Conference on Housing Mobility” on July 16 at John Marshall Law School in downtown Chicago, and to feature the leadership of civic organizations and public housing authorities in the Regional Housing Initiative and the HUD-funded Chicago Regional Housing Choice Initiative. Research highlighted in a recent New York Times piece shows that very low-income children who grow up in certain municipalities have better chances of escaping poverty than similar children in other areas. BRicK Partners has been honored to support the regional voucher initiative in Chicagoland and to explore its expansion nationwide, and Robin Snyderman described these experiences in one of the July 16th panels. Click here to view photos and the agenda from the conference.
June 25, 2015
Investing in People and Places for Upward Mobility
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research hosted an evidence-based dialogue exploring the most impactful strategies for investing in people and in places to support upward mobility and a frank discussion of the challenges. A growing body of research underscores the importance of place in helping promote inter-generational mobility. This is especially true for low-income families. BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman participated in a panel along with Mark Joseph (Case Western Reserve University), Jens Ludwig (University of Chicago), and Carol Naughton (Purpose Built Communities) to connect the evidence to current events and policy and highlight range of approaches that can make a difference on the ground. Among other questions, the panel explored the following questions: • What are the most effective ways to improve the outcomes for low-income families—through both of the levers HUD embraces, supporting mobility to lower poverty neighborhoods and supporting in-place neighborhood transformation? • What are the lessons learned from Moving to Opportunity, HOPE VI, Choice Neighborhoods and other initiatives that should shape our future work, and what are the obstacles? Click here to read more about the panel and the body of research.
April 30, 2015
BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman spoke on a panel with Antonio Riley, Region V Administrator of HUD, and Teresa Hunter, Executive Director, Family Housing Advisory Services, Omaha, NE, discussing the Housing Mobility Program and best practices from the Chicago Regional Housing Choice Initiative. Click here to download the conference agenda.March 12, 2015
2015 Illinois Kids Count Chicago Symposium
Voices for Illinois Children held its annual symposium at Loyola University’s Regents Hall with keynote speaker Jared Bernstein, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and former chief economist and economic adviser to Vice President Joseph Biden. BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman wrote an essay on suburban poverty and the challenges of both public perception and public policy for Voices' Illinois Kids Count 2015 report.
December 8, 2014
Urban Institute/Center on Budget and Policy Priorities convening on increasing use of housing vouchers in higher opportunity neighborhoods
BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman spoke on jurisdictional barriers. In addition to Ms. Snyderman, the panel featured Barbara Sard, Vice President for Housing Policy of CBPP, and Danielle Bastarache, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Programs and Legislative Initiatives (Acting), Public and Indian Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development. In the large majority of metro areas, more than one PHA administers a Housing Choice Voucher program, and different PHAs often serve neighborhoods of concentrated poverty and opportunity neighborhoods. The panel discussed whether HUD policy changes or other incentives can help overcome these barriers (e.g., revised consortia rule, streamlined portability rule, supporting other regional collaborations).
November 3, 2014
Supportive Housing Provider Association Brown Bag Discussion & Technical Assistance Series
BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman spoke on advocacy and communicating with elected officials, neighborhood groups and planning and zoning officials. In addition to Ms. Snyderman, the workshop featured David Pope, former Village President of the Village of Oak Park, two great speakers with a wealth of experience advocating for and leading policies, programs and projects achieving these housing goals. They discussed implementation of projects and/or policy changes that create or enhance housing options for persons with disabilities.
October 3, 2014
Housing Action Illinois' 2014 Annual Conference
BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman participated in a panel entitled "Using Data for Planning and Impact Analysis" at HAI's 2014 conference. The panel discussed what data are readily available for housing counselors to use and how to integrate its use into daily operations.
June 26, 2014
NCSHA’s Housing Credit Connect 2014
BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman participated in a panel entitled "Advancing Fair Housing with the Credit" at the National Council of State Housing Agencies' 2014 conference. The panel examined state Housing Credit allocation policies for furthering fair housing, review housing discrimination litigation and discuss strategies for using the Credit in high opportunity areas, for poverty deconcentration, and to achieve racial and economic integration.
June 25, 2014
Summer meeting of the Affordable Housing Investment Council
Karen Muchin introduced Antonio Riley, HUD Midwest Regional Administrator, as the keynote speaker at the AHIC Summer 2014 Members' Conference in Chicago, IL.
Click here to download the conference agenda.
May 15, 2014
DuPage Homeownership Center's Affordable Housing Breakfast
BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman spoke at the tri-annual Affordable Housing Breakfast, a collaboration between DHOC and the Wheaton College Center for Applied Christian Ethics. She gave an update on Regional Solutions to Suburban Housing and Community Development via the Homes for a Changing Region Initiative.
April 23, 2014
2014 Illinois Governor's Conference on Affordable Housing
BRicK Partners' Robin Snyderman moderated a panel entitled "Rooftops Required for Retail and Ridership: How Housing Can Anchor Economic Development" at the Illinois Governor's Conference on Affordable Housing in downtown Chicago.
Click here to read the session descriptions.
April 3, 2014
Spring meeting of the Affordable Housing Investment Council
Karen Muchin introduced Elizabeth Kneebone of the Brookings Institution to discuss "Confronting Suburban Poverty" at the AHIC Spring 2014 Members' Conference in Washington, DC.
Click here to download the conference agenda.
February 14, 2014
New Partners for Smart Growth Conference
BRicK Partners moderated a panel entitled "Advancing Regional Equity through Collaboration: Public Housing Agencies and Metropolitan Planning Organizations" at the Smart Growth Conference in Denver, Colorado.
Click here to read the HUDuser article resulting from the conference.
November 5th and 6th, 2013
Housing Action Illinois's annual conference, held in Bloomington, included an update on the Attorney General's National Foreclosure Settlement awards. Robin Snyderman and Karen Muchin spoke on a panel providing National Foreclosure Settlement (NFS) grantees and others working in affected communities with information regarding the scope of projects funded and updates on implementation procedures and schedules. Representatives from the Attorney General's office and NFS-funded experts were in attendance to discuss their roles in assisting grantees with their projects. In addition to learning critical information, the session provided an opportunity for grantees and others to put faces to names and to begin the peer-to-peer networking that will be essential for successful program implementation.
Click here to download a PDF of presentations.
September 26th, 2013
Brookings Institution's Confronting Suburban Poverty in America authors, Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan Berube, joined BRicK Partners for a series of meetings in Chicagoland with suburban policymakers, public and private sector funders, service providers and other key stakeholders.
Click here for more information about the culminating event.
Click here for a WBEZ story from September 5, 2013, about a Heartland Alliance study on suburban poverty in Chicago.
Click here for a WTTW Chicago Tonight story from November 4, 2013, on suburban poverty, featuring Elizabeth Kneebone.
July 17th, 2013
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan held a press conference to announce the 54 entities receiving the $70 million available for Community Revitalization and Housing Counseling from Illinois’ portion of the National Foreclosure Settlement. Advisory Council members Karen Muchin and Robin Snyderman joined her for that event.
Click here for more information about the press conference and the award recipients. Call or email for more information on next steps.
June 18th, 2013
BRicK Partners moderated Brookings Institution's Webinar: "Scaling Suburban Community Development Solutions Through Collaborative New Strategies."
April 24th, 2013
BRicK Partners participated in a panel entitled "Economic Development and Housing Research" as part of the Illinois Governor's Conference on Affordable Housing.
April 15th, 2013
BRick Partners participated in a panel on Interjurisdictional Collaboration in metropolitan Chicago at the American Planning Association Conference.
April 3rd, 2013
BRicK was a guest speaker on workforce housing strategies and programs at the Kansas Regional Workforce Housing Summit.
January 22nd, 2013
BRicK Partners moderated a panel with developers attending this Illinois Housing Council event on Strategies for Creating Successful Mixed-Tenancy Developments in Illinois at the Metropolitan Planning Council, in coordination with the Corporation for Supportive Housing.
January 17th, 2013
BRicK Partners and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus present on regional housing solutions at DuPage Homeownership Center Affordable Housing Breakfast.
December 13th, 2012
BRicK Partners moderated a panel at Metropolitan Planning Council roundtable releasing a report it co-authored on Interjurisdictional Collaboration, entitled "Supporting and Sustaining Interjurisdictional Collaboration for Housing and Community Development."
September 13th, 2012
BRicK Partners presented a keynote address on workforce housing strategies at 2012 Kansas Housing Conference: Bringing Kansas Home.