Forum: Housing for Wellbeing and Economic Prosperity

Registration is closed- event has reached capacity. Please email morgan@cityclubofboise.org to join the waitlist.

Housing provides a foundation for social and economic mobility while homelessness and housing instability come at a high cost to the people they affect and the communities in which they live.

In this City Club Forum, academics and practitioners will discuss the relationship between homelessness and housing, examine their interconnected issues, and propose solutions.

Join us for this in-person lunchtime forum on Wednesday, November 9, 2022 from 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the Idaho State Museum.

Speakers:

Gregg Colburn is an assistant professor of real estate in the University of Washington’s College of Built Environments

Gerald M. Hunter is president and executive director of the Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA)

Ali Rabe is the Executive Director at Jesse Tree, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing eviction and homelessness in the Treasure Valley.

Caleb Roope is President and CEO at The Pacific Companies.

Moderator: City Club board member Dr. Vanessa Crossgrove Fry, interim director at the Idaho Policy Institute at Boise State University

Welcome and introduction from Boise Mayor McLean.

Where: Idaho State Museum,  610 E Julia Davis Dr, Boise, ID, 83702, in the Idaho Room

When: Wednesday, November 9, 2022 from 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 pm

About the speakers:

Gregg Colburn is an assistant professor of real estate in the University of Washington’s College of Built Environments. Greg holds a Ph.D. in Public Affairs from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota. Dr. Colburn’s research interests: housing policy, housing markets, housing affordability, and homelessness. He is the author of forthcoming book, Homelessness is a Housing Problem (University of California Press). Gregg entered academia after spending the first seventeen years of his professional life in the private sector. At the University of Washington, Gregg enjoys teaching courses in housing, economics, and finance at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He maintains an active research agenda focused on housing policy, housing markets, housing affordability, and homelessness. Gregg is also actively engaged in a wide range of community efforts to address the acute housing crisis in the Puget Sound region.

Gerald M. Hunter is president and executive director of the Idaho Housing and Finance Association, a self-supporting financial institution and affordable housing services organization that provides housing services and funding to fulfill a broad range of community needs – from homelessness support to urban-based workforce housing. Mr. Hunter has served as the Association’s president since 1998.  He is a past president and Board member of the National Council of State Housing Agencies and has served as a Board member and an Executive and Policy Committee member for the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce.  He serves in numerous national affordable housing councils including the Bipartisan Policy Center and was a Founding Member of Fannie Mae’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council.  During his tenure, the IHFA has financed over $31 billion in asset-based loans including single-family homes, apartment buildings, nonprofit facilities, transportation infrastructure, and economic development projects.

Ali Rabe is the executive director at Jesse Tree, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing eviction and homelessness in the Treasure Valley. Prior to joining Jesse Tree, Ali worked with local governments and service providers in their efforts to prevent and end homelessness in the Bay Area. She spent the early years of her legal career supporting refugees and other displaced populations around the world. Her experiences there led to her passion to prevent homelessness from happening to people and communities. Ali is a proud alumnus of The College of Idaho and holds a J.D. from William & Mary Law School.

Caleb Roope is the founder and CEO of The Pacific Companies interrelated companies in the areas of development, finance, architecture, and construction. He has over 20 years of professional real estate experience with a concentration in affordable housing development, and over his career has successfully constructed more than 160 apartment communities for lower and moderate-income families and senior citizens. Caleb has extensive experience producing assets that combine the resources and priorities of the public and private sectors such as federal low-income housing tax credit projects, inclusionary multifamily housing developments, and public charter schools. An adept and discerning leader, Caleb reads the marketplace for emerging opportunities to deploy his team's capabilities and produce lasting community assets.

 City Club board member and moderator Dr. Vanessa Crossgrove Fry is director at the Idaho Policy Institute at Boise State University where she leads students, staff, and faculty in providing innovative and objective research to help public, private, and nonprofit leaders overcome challenges and navigate change. She also serves as associate research professor in the School of Public Service, teaching the MPA Capstone and co-teaching the Vertically Integrated Project Housing Opportunities for All.

Thanks to this forum's sponsor: LEAP Housing

City Club thanks our Premier Sponsor, Northwest Nazarene University and the NNU School of Business and our Annual sponsor, University of Idaho. The 2022 Forum Series is sponsored by AARP of Idaho, Bank of Idaho, Echelon Group, Idaho Humanities Council, Micron, Optum, PacificSource Health Plans, and Small Mine Development. We are pleased to welcome university students to attend our events thanks to our University partners Boise State University, Northwest Nazarene University, and University of Idaho. Our media partners include Boise State Public Radio, Idaho Public Television, and the Idaho Statesman.

If you have any questions, call 208-364-4614 and staff can assist you.