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Austin conference examines housing options for people with disabilities

For immediate release: September 8, 2011

DALLAS—Finding housing for people with disabilities, who often find it challenging to identify affordable and accessible housing with reliable transportation options, is the focus of an upcoming Austin conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and The Disability Opportunity Fund.

“Finding Housing Opportunities for People with Disabilities,” will be held 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 and 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Sept. 15 at the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel, 701 Congress Ave, Austin.

Participants can register at www.dallasfed.org to attend the event.

“The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas coordinates a Community Outlook Survey, and a key theme that has increasingly emerged from our community-based respondents has been the lack of affordable housing for people with disabilities,” said Alfreda Norman, vice president and community affairs officer at the Bank. “To address this growing demand, our hope for the conference is to establish strong working collaborations between the finance, banking and disability communities that can ultimately lead to a renewed emphasis on housing development for those with disabilities.”

The event will feature presentations and panel discussions on existing challenges, new initiatives and financing opportunities for housing solutions for people with disabilities. Specific topics include funding options for accessible housing, transportation and income considerations when developing housing and innovative technology that improves quality of life.

The conference is aimed at representatives from financial institutions, governments, foundations, community development groups, nonprofits and private-sector organizations that work to improve the employment and living conditions of people with disabilities.

Speakers will include David Braddock of the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities; Joe Bontke of the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities; Charles D. Hammerman of The Disability Opportunity Fund; and Texas state Rep. Elliott Naishtat, District 49.

The event is being hosted in partnership with the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services, Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation and OneStar Foundation.

Additional information about the conference, including a list of confirmed speakers and additional topics for discussion, can be found on the Dallas Fed web site: http://www.dallasfed.org/cd/events/2011/disability.cfm

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Media contact:
Alexander Johnson
Phone: (214) 922-5288
e-mail: alexander.johnson@dal.frb.org