Join LOCUS and an exciting selection of guest speakers, who together, will dive into a series of webinars on how to finance and build missing middle housing, how to utilize the federal Opportunity Zone tax incentive to build residential units, and how to utilize creative financing approaches to facilitate projects that meet urgent community needs.
Over the course of three Thursdays this summer, LOCUS and Smart Growth America will host a series of webinars aimed at providing insight into how to finance and build high-interest project typologies, including opportunity zone residential projects, small-scale/missing middle housing, and projects that utilize alternative capital sources. By zeroing in on the capital stack–the actual list of financing streams used to fund a project–the series hopes to demystify development and provide practitioners across the smart growth space with real-world insights on how certain types of projects get off the ground.
At each webinar, attendees will hear from a variety of stakeholders building these projects, providing the financing, or steering development in their communities. Don’t miss the chance to dig into the challenges with developing each project type, explore real case studies, and hear inspiring success stories. Learn more about the sessions and register today!
1. Utilizing the Opportunity Zone tool for residential development
With Congress poised to potentially extend the federal Opportunity Zone (OZ) tax incentive, it is a critical time for developers and communities to revisit successful uses of the tool from across the country. On Thursday, June 5th, from 3-4 p.m. ET, hear from experts who are turning OZ investment into positive results. Featured speakers include Natalie Mason, Executive Vice President at Capital Square, Sharetta Smith, Mayor of Lima, OH, and Robin Schabes, Director of Chicagoland OZ Consortium.
Register for the June 5 webinar here
2. Approaches to building small-scale and missing middle housing
From missing starter homes for young families to a dearth of homes available for seniors hoping to downsize but stay in their communities, the impacts of so-called “missing middle housing” are being felt throughout the country. This webinar will feature experts who are leading the way in infill development, sustainable housing, and community-based planning solutions. Featured speakers include Jim Heid, Founder of UrbanGreen and CRAFT DnA, Shannon Morgan, President and Co-Founder of Renovare Development, and Jennifer Settle, Senior Associate at Opticos Design. Join us for the conversation on Thursday, June 26, 3-4 p.m. ET.
Register for the June 26 webinar here
3. Innovative approaches to housing development
Alternative approaches in financing or project development can be slow to move from one community to another. On Thursday, July 24th, from 3-4 p.m. ET, tune in for a conversation with leaders championing new models for funding and constructing smart growth-aligned housing types such as co-ops and affordable housing.