It is challenging, but not impossible for organizations supporting Black & Latino homeownership to compete with private investors and rising gentrification. This panel highlights promising practices to acquire, rehab, and preserve affordable and attainable housing for minority communities. Topics include: (1) Real solutions that are working across the country and (2) How to choose and work with different types of investors.

Bankers, Black & Latino Community Leaders and audience members discuss Preparing Your Organization to Request A Bank Construction Line of Credit and Preparing Your Organization to Request A Bank Construction Line of Credit:

• Best LOC for your needs

• Examples of effective LOCs

• Understanding your financial statements

• What information is required

• Propoerty Development Schedule

This session will explore several ways to establish business credit, what lenders look for, and the borrowing process.

Single-Family affordable housing developers from various markets across the U.S. discuss successful and profitable affordable housing development best practices to include, but not limited to: financial models, construction models, productive housing partnerships, construction capital strategies and access to housing/lot inventories.

The Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (CRA) was enacted by Congress to address the lack of racial economic inclusion within the banking industry and to ensure that banks meet the capital needs of the communities they do business in.  The recent Pandemic exposed a monumental economic fault line between white and Black/Latino communities, families and businesses.  Blacks and Latinos economically suffered at twice the rate of whites. This session will highlight Baltimore CRA where Black & Latino leaders have come together to meet with the top 11 banks in Baltimore to address racial economic inclusion within these banks that includes calling on banks to provide racially relevant capital. 

Learn how Supplier Diversity programs are structured, how they can strengthen diverse communities, and most of all, how your small or diverse business can access them. Now more than ever, there are growing demands on corporations to demonstrate ethical compliance and social responsibility. This session will demystify the WMBE Certification process and how to your certification can grow your business.

Join us on a journey to learn why transparency in distressed asset disposition is a win for investors and a win for banks and servicers. We will share the evolution of our auction philosophy, current programs that are redefining how the industry views disposition and challenge the misconception of who buys distressed real estate. Hear our thoughts on where the market is heading and how non-profits and development-minded investors can leverage our platform to help stabilize neighborhoods and drive change.

Black & Latino small business organization leaders from across the U.S., key banks and audience members engage in a candid discussion on capital solutions that work to address the lack of access to capital that is hampering critical economic growth in predominate Black & Latino communities. This session will review successful debt and equity capital solutions targeting Black & Latino small businesses and new bank capital initiatives targeting increased access to capital for minority small businesses.

Community housing experts, bankers and housing industry professionals come together to provide the audience with an overview of home/rehab loan products that are beneficial for Black & Latino home buyers.

Building income for nonprofits is crucial to build a path towards self-sufficiency.  This summit session will focus on how FMCRC/The Housing Pros is able to build profitable affordable housing that is driven by the market and profit and not reliant on government funding. This session will also explore how developers in Detroit and Maryland are also build profitable affordable housing for black and brown communities.Information about some unique construction financing resources from EnerBank USA will also be shared and discussed.

Join us to learn how to bring community organizations together to create a network of support designed to position minority-owned businesses for growth and success.  Access to capital, technical assistance, guidance coaches, and other supportive services are made available to minority-owned businesses located in distressed tracks under one umbrella program – Stronger Together KC.  During this session, you will receive tips on how to implement this collaborative approach to supporting the minority economic ecosystem in your city.  

The Racial Wealth Gap is driven by lack of Black & Latino home equity and racial appraisal bias is contributing to the widening of the Racial Wealth Gap.  Studies are consistently showing evidence that Black & Latino home owners and neighborhoods are receiving significantly lower home appraisals compared to white home owners that is resulting in the minimizing of Black & Latino wealth and ability to buy up.  This session will convene housing and appraisal experts to review the racial bias on appraisals and solutions to combat this appraisal bias that builds up Black & Latino home equity and wealth.

CDFI’s were developed to take risk and become a critical capital intermediary for both small businesses and affordable housing development.   But the lack of capital (debt & equity), extensive overhead, high cost of capital and arduous underwriting process has resulted in CDFIs having marginal capital impact for Black & Latino businesses and affordable housing developers.  This session brings together CDFI professionals, key banks (regional and national), small business organizations, affordable housing developers and audience members to discuss these obstacles and solutions that will result in significantly increasing the amount of loans to Black & Latino small businesses and affordable housing developers. 

The funding gap for diverse-founded startups continues to widen despite the proclaimed growth and success from institutions. Join us in a discussion aimed to address the challenges in accessing capital, understanding venture capitalists, and creating business models that support diverse communities. You will leave this session with resources on how to position your nonprofit, fund or business for growth and success.