The 3rd Annual Supportive Housing Conference, held on November 29 and 30, saw a wonderful turnout —consumers, administrators, and staff again enjoyed the wide array of training, the notable guest speakers, and the opportunity to share housing information with others from around the state. The new location in in Somerset at the Doubletree Hotel provided a larger space, and set a great conference atmosphere. Everyone enjoyed the workshops, the company, and especially the food - the Doubletree cookies were a big hit!

From left to right - Gifford Herud of Butterfly Property Management,  Ann Portas of MHANJ,  and Jack Bucher of CSP-NJ take a break outside the Doubletree.
 

For the first time, the Supportive Housing Conference was held on two days to provide attendees with more opportunities for intensive training. The first day consisted of three all-day institutes, which gave the basics on successful supportive housing strategies—The Art of the Deal, which covered housing development basics, Beyond Bricks and Mortar, an overview of the implementation of supportive housing, and Introduction to Property Management.

The second day of the conference kicked off with a keynote address by Sheila Crowley, Executive Director of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition. Crowley addressed the current political climate as it relates to low-income housing in the same forthright style that accents her "Point of View" article in NLIHC's Memo to Members.

The morning agenda included a continuation of the three first-day institutes along with four new workshops—Supportive Housing Readiness, ABCs of Housing Finance, Legal Issues of Supportive Housing, and Linkages to the Community.

Pam McCrory, President of SHA, stands
 by Patti Holland, SHA trainer, as she steps up to the microphone to accept her award

Raul Mendes, Executive Director of Project Live,
  stands between John Loizeau (left) and Yusuf Sykes (right), the Julie Sandorf award winners, both from Project Live
 

Afterwards, several awards were presented; Pam McCrory, President of SHA, presented the Individual Award of Special Distinction to Patti Holland for her tireless work in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation and her successful training of managers, staff, and tenants during her work with SHA.

The CSH Julie Sandorf Award, given to a housing tenant whose accomplishments demonstrate the success of the supportive housing model, was presented to two tenants from Project Live—John Loizeau and Yusuf Sykes.

An award was also presented to Dennis Lyons, Daily Record's Executive Editor, and Lorraine Ash, a Daily Record reporter, for their coverage of mental health issues, specifically Ash's three-part article "After Greystone: Journeys through schizophrenia."

After lunch, five afternoon workshops were offered: Successfully Housing Substance Users, Tenant Employment and Self Sufficiency, Locating and Accessing Affordable Housing, Rental Subsidy Programs, and Asset Building.

Successfully housing substance users included panelist Brian Murphy, a Harm Reduction Therapist, who spoke on treating a tenants' drug problem in a nonjudgmental, client-focused way to help overall treatment of consumers.

Pam McCrory, right, President of SHA,
 and Rusty Foster, Clinician Administrator
 at UMDNJ's the CLUB.

Arnold Cohen, Policy Director for the
Housing & Community Development Network of NJ,
addresses the luncheon attendees on upcoming
 affordable housing legislation

The conference ended at 4 pm with a reception for time to relax, socialize, and wind down from the day's events.

SHA and CSH thank the sponsors who made the conference possible: the Department of Community Affairs, New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Equity Fund, the NJ Department of Human Services, the Local Initiative Support Corporation, the NJ Division of Mental Health Services, and JP Morgan Chase.