DRAFT MINUTES
MEETING OF THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE’S
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE
November 8, 2002 - 9:00 a.m. - Noon
Fannie Mae Headquarters
3939 Wisconsin Avenue, Washington, DC
The second meeting of the Affordable Housing Task Force of the National Alliance for Building Regulatory Reform in the Digital Age was opened with welcoming remarks from the meeting’s host, Paul Weech, Director of Policy, National Housing Impact Division of Fannie Mae.
Attendance was taken and noted as follows:
Baxter Hill, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Housing Services
Carlos Martin, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of
Policy
Development and Research
Michelle McDonough, Fannie Mae
Richard Kuchnicki, International Code Council
John Biechman, National Fire Protection Association
Larry Zarker, Newport Partners, Inc.
Robert Wible, National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards
The agenda for the morning’s meeting and the minutes from the previous Task Force meeting were reviewed and approved.
Each of the attendees described what they wanted to see the Affordable Housing Task Force achieve in the coming year.
Out of that discussion it was noted that the Task Force would be able to serve as a facilitator for speeding the application of information technology to the process of regulating the design and construction of residential construction throughout the United States. Several organizations present noted ways in which the Task Force could assist them with their own efforts to stimulate the availability of affordable housing in the United States.
Mr. Wible updated the attendees on the progress being made by the National Alliance in its work and the outcome of the Second National Forum on Building Smarter in the Digital Age held October 21-22, 2002, in Louisville, Kentucky, in conjunction with the NCSBCS 35th Annual Conference. Mr. Wible thanked Michelle McDonough again for her presentation on the work of the Affordable Housing Task Force at the Louisville meeting. It was noted that during that portion of the Louisville conference the names of several other possible members of the Affordable Housing Task Force were provided to NCSBCS.
The Task Force then undertook a detailed review of the work products for the coming year (see attachment). Mr. Wible asked each of the attendees to consider which of the work products they would like to concentrate their efforts on and to prioritize the projects. It was agreed that in three weeks they would return to NCSBSC their comments on which work products their organization would work on and what priority they would assign to each of those products.
It was in general noted that work on the database of jurisdictions using information technology to streamline their regulation of housing and the production of a guide for rural jurisdictions for streamlining were among the top priority items for the group at this juncture. The need for additional funding for the Task Force also was discussed.
The attendees then reviewed which other national organizations should be invited to participate in future meetings of the Task Force. That list included the National League of Cities, IBHS, ISO, American Planning Association and the Enterprise Foundation.
The Task Force discussed the appropriateness of holding either a full task force meeting or a briefing session on their work during the National Association of Home Builders annual meeting in Las Vegas this coming January. It was agreed that NAHB representatives to the Task Force would be approached on this subject and their feedback would be provided by NCSBCS to Task Force members.
There being no further business to come before the Task Force, at 11:40 a.m. the meeting was adjourned. The next Task Force meeting will be held in either late January or late February 2003, depending on funding and the outcome of the conversations with NAHB.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert C. Wible
Secretariat to the National Alliance for Building
Regulatory Reform in the Digital Age
Attachment
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE WORK PRODUCTS