Page 4 - New England Condominium August 2021

4 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -AUGUST 2021 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM Industry Pulse Events We’re Back, Baby! New England Condo Expo Returns this Fall! ne-expo.com New England Condominium is pleased to announce the return of our in-person expos! This fall, the New England Condominium Expo will take place at the Boston Conven- tion Center on Tuesday, November 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We have an exciting line-up of exhibitors who are eager to interact in person, covering every aspect of multifam- ily living—from board governance, financial planning, and community engagement, to roof repair, energy management, and lawn care. Like our past in-person expos, the New England Condominium Expo 2021 will in- clude a full day of free workshops, seminars, networking, and more. And as always, regis- tration and attendance are FREE to all! Visit www.ne-expo.com to see who’s exhibiting, get more information, and register as an exhibi- tor or an attendee. This will be a must-attend event for all condo, co-op, and HOA board members, property managers, residents, and real estate professionals in New England! We look forward to seeing you there in person! CAI National Conference Heads to Vegas The Community Associations Institute (CAI) will hold its annual conference and ex- position, CommunityNOW, from August 18 to 21 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada. This 300,000-square-foot conference center is adjacent to the LINQ and Harrah’s Hotels & Casinos. Featured speakers include Susan O’Malley, the first woman president of a professional sports franchise, and Joel Zeff, a motivator, lifelong humorist, and improvisational actor. Education sessions at the event will include Overcoming Racism in Community As- sociations: How to Be an Agent of Change; Creating a Drama-Free Community: Tips to Avoid Discrimination, Harassment, and Liti- gation Risks Prompted by COVID-19; Wave of Change: How COVID-19 Transformed the Community Association Management Profession; Healthy Habits for a More Pro- ductive Day: Music, Movement & Mindful- ness; Member Action: What to Do When Residents Go Rogue; When Boards Make Mistakes: How to Minimize the Fallout; and Emotional Health at Work: Manage Stressful Situations and Increase Productivity. At the conference, CAI members will also get an update on current legislative issues and hot legal topics, industry data, and recent re- search findings, along with several seminars on association management issues ranging from mass board resignations to retaining talent. To register, visit www.caionline.org. Innovations in Housing Affordability Forum The Boston Society of Architects (BSA) will host a Zoom forum on housing afford- ability at 8:30 a.m. on August 10. In announc- ing the meeting, the BSA said, “As we emerge from the aftermath of the pandemic, Metro- Boston’s supply of affordable housing contin- ues to lag behind. Even after the economic expansion era from 2009 to early 2020, Greater Boston didn’t build enough homes to keep up with demand. Seniors and families with children face an uphill climb when find- ing homes that meet their size and income needs. How will the affordable middle find its way into our lexicon of housing offerings?” Affordable housing client experts Laura Martin from the Community Builders and Eliza Datta of E3 Development, along with the ‘Mother of the Micro Unit,’ former BSA President Tamara Roy, will share their latest innovations for tackling the region’s chal- lenging economics and strategies for the future and how communities might start thinking differently about the economics and the housing offerings that the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) indus- try can help provide. The program fee is $20 for members, $40 for others. To register, visit www.architects.org. Industry News Barkan to Provide Compliance Services at The Coolidge Barkan Compliance Solutions (BCS), a provider of regulatory compliance services to developers, owners, and managers of afford- able housing, has been engaged to provide re- certifications and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) compliance services for The Coolidge at Sudbury. BCS is an affiliate of Barkan Management Company, which con- tinues its professional management of both phases of the property. The Coolidge at Sudbury is located at 187- 189 Boston Post Road (Route 20) in Sudbury, Massachusetts. The apartment community, which offers affordable housing for seniors where income guidelines apply, opened in two phases: Phase 1 opened in 2014 and consists of 64 one- and two-bedroom units; Phase 2 opened in November 2020 and of- fers 56 one-bedroom units. Amenities in- clude well-appointed meeting rooms, media rooms, libraries, fitness centers, elevators, and a parking garage. The community was developed and is sponsored by B’nai B’rith Housing (BBH), a nonprofit developer whose mission is to ease the housing crisis in the Greater Boston area. In the town of Sudbury alone, more than 25% of households have at least one member who is over 60 years old. And of Sudbury seniors, 30% of households over 65 years old earn less than $50,000 per year (2000 U.S. Census, lo- calized data set). “We are pleased to provide our full suite of services to complement the management of this much needed affordable housing op- tion for seniors,” said Cynthia Howe, SHCM, CPO, FHC, Vice President of Barkan Man- agement Company, who will serve as Ac- count Executive. Barkan Compliance Solutions is an affili- ate of Barkan Management Company. BCS provides comprehensive management and regulatory compliance services to developers, owners, and managers of affordable housing. Barkan Compliance Solutions has experience working with all types of affordable programs including LIHTC, Section 8, HOME, Hous- ing Choice Vouchers, and Public Housing. Fair Housing Rules Revamped The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has restored regula- tions the Trump administration had elimi- nated, requiring communities to take clear and affirmative steps to combat housing dis- crimination, according to an update on the Marcus, Errico, Emmer & Brooks website. The “Affirmatively Further Fair Housing” (AFFH) rule required local communities to assess fair housing issues, set fair housing goals, and undertake “meaningful actions” to achieve those goals. Several major hous- ing industry trade groups had supported the rule, which the Trump administration rejected as unduly restrictive and “no longer consistent with the actual requirements of the Fair Housing Act.” Restoring this rule under- scores the Biden administration’s commit- ment to fair housing and its determination to combat housing discrimination, HUD Secre- tary Marcia Fudge said in a press statement. “More than 50 years since the Fair Hous- ing Act’s passage, inequities in our com- munities remain that block families from moving into neighborhoods with greater op- portunities,” she noted. “As a former mayor and member of Congress, I know firsthand the importance of giving localities the tools they need to ensure their communities have access to safe, affordable housing near qual- ity schools, transportation, and jobs. HUD’s interim final rule takes effect July 31, with public comments on it accepted for 30 days after that date.” n PULSE YOU’LL LEARN SO MUCH YOUR HEAD COULD EXPLODE. (Our lawyers said we had to warn you.) BOSTON CONVENTION CENTER, BOSTON — TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 10-3:30 FREE REGISTRATION: NE-EXPO.COM THE NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM EXPO 2021 WHERE BUILDINGS MEET SERVICES Please submit Pulse items to Pat Gale at patgale@yrinc.com