Paving the Way for Sustainable Homeownership: Highlights from the 2015 HomeSmartNY Statewide Conference and Network Events

Homeownership education advocates representing over 80 organizations attended the 2015 HomeSmartNY (formerly NYS Coalition of Excellence in Homeownership Education) network events and conference on September 20 and 21, 2015, at the Hilton Albany in Albany, NY.

Keynote speakers Genger Charles, General Deputy Assistant Secretary, Federal Housing Administration, HUD and Deborah Boatright, Regional Vice President, NE Region, NeighborWorks America, recognized the power of housing counseling and the work that housing counselors are doing in New York State.

Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Julián Castro and New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman addressed the audience via video.

Key announcements include:

• New HomeSmartNY.org website, with both consumer and member portals, launching October 2015.
• Milt Sharp, President, eHome Network, announced that HomeSmartNY will pilot the new online post-purchase curriculum.
• HomeSmartNY is also opening its eHome America referral program to its entire membership of over 70 HUD-approved housing counseling agencies, after a pilot with 11 members that started in summer 2015.
• In partnership with NeighborWorks America, HomeSmartNY is offering its members over 75 scholarships to a choice of three eClassroom Express courses in October 2015.

Conference materials are available at https://homesmartnewyork.org/about-us/2015-statewide-conference/.

Thank you to our conference and pre-conference sponsors:

NYS Office of the Attorney General

NeighborWorks America

SONYMA

Federal Home Loan Bank of New York

M&T Bank

OneTitle National Guaranty Company

Center for NYC Neighborhoods

Empire Justice Center