HUD's Office of Affordable Housing Programs (OAHP) is sponsoring a PJ Peer Group on issues surrounding Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) designation and capacity building.

The PJ Peer Group kickoff is March 2-3, 2016 at the HUD Field Office in Portland, Oregon. The Peer Group includes:

• The March 2-3 in-person session will include a combination of training, direct TA, and field research on what tools participating jurisdiction (PJs) most need for assessing and building CHDO capacity, as well as allow participating PJs to provide feedback on the needs of their CHDO partners;
• Six weeks of ongoing follow-up during which participants will be able to interact with one another and with TA providers using an online forum setup specifically for attendees; and
• A concluding webinar summarizing the results of the Peer Group process.

During the in-person session, brief training modules will be presented followed by breakout sessions where participants can explore topics related to assessing and supporting CHDO capacity in greater detail. Attendees will be provided with “beta” versions of sample tools being developed for broader national publication.

PJs will have the opportunity, both during the in-person session and the online follow-up:

• To identify other tools and resources they need or to present samples developed locally;
• Obtain reviews and advice on adapting and adopting HUD or peer-provided samples;
• Seek further guidance and engage in discussions with peers and TA providers on questions raised during the training, topics that require additional clarification, and local questions that occur following the in-person session.

Who Should Attend?

All PJs are invited to attend, but PJs will generally be limited to 2 participants. OAHP is particularly interested in rural states and states struggling to identify capable CHDOs.

Note: HUD is scheduling additional PJ Peer Groups on assessing and building CHDO capacity in other locations across the United States in Winter and Spring 2016. Additional registration announcement listservs are forthcoming.

Please note that submitting a registration request does not guarantee a seat at the training. You will receive a confirmation email if you are accepted into the training.

Note to registrants: This Peer Group will be held in a Federal facility. Consistent with all Federal agencies, as of October 10, 2015, HUD implemented the Department of Homeland Security Real ID Phase 3b Enforcement Rule. REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the states and Federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of state-issued identification documents. This rule does not allow visitors presenting driver’s licenses from the following noncompliant states: New York, Louisiana, Minnesota, and New Hampshire, access to Federal facilities, including HUD facilities. Visitors entering HUD Headquarters from these noncompliant states must present another form of identification, such as a Federal issued ID or passport upon entering the premises. All visitors will still be signed in on HUD’s Visitors Management System and require and escort at all times.

Training Series Point of Contact

Sandy Patel | spatel@tdainc.org

To find out more information about upcoming trainings and access materials from previously held trainings, go to HUD Exchange Training and Events.