PRESS RELEASE Friday, March 20, 2009

For Immediate Release Contact: Jane DeMarines Executive Director, NACEDA 703.741.0144 or jdemarines@NACEDA.org

Community Development Leaders Join Forces in Washington,
Sen. Reed, HUD officials, OMB, National CD Groups Highlight Conference

Washington, DC - March 20, 2009 - As they work diligently to bring their communities out of economic turmoil, representatives of more than 3,000 community economic development groups are coming together in Washington to hear addresses and meet with leaders from both the new Congress and Administration at NACEDA's 3rd Annual Summit, being held March 30-April 1, 2009 at the Doubletree Hotel.

Over the course of two days, more than a dozen panels will be held and the third day is reserved for a Capitol Hill action day, where CDCs will educate their Senators and members of Congress on community development needs and will hear a speech from Senator Jack Reed.

Speakers during the first two days of the Summit include Xavier Briggs, Associate Director of Housing Office of Management and Budget. From HUD, Steve Johnson, Director of Grants, will provide comments on HUD Management of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program Funds. William Apgar, Senior Advisor for Mortgage Finance in the office of Housing and Urban Development for Secretary Shaun Donovan will also be a luncheon speaker. NACEDA is also proud to have keynote addresses by two partner organizations with Ken Wade, CEO, NeighborWorks, and Michael Rubinger, President and CEO, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), on how community development is changing.

"We are so honored that these speakers could join us in this important endeavor," said Diane Sterner, Chair of NACEDA and Executive Director of the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey. "Our members, the associations of state and city community development corporations, will undoubtedly benefit from their knowledge and expertise. However, the speakers will also gain greatly from interacting with the community development leaders working at the grassroots level."

Foreclosure will also be a focus of the Summit, with the panel "Stopping the Flood- innovative models for the acquisition and disposition of foreclosed homes for neighborhood stabilization." Representatives from the National Community Stabilization Trust, National Housing Institute and New Jersey community development groups including: Community Asset Preservation Corporation and HANDS, Inc. will lead a discussion on the important work CDCs are doing to save homes and communities.

The Summit will feature several other exciting and timely panels, including Vacant Properties Disposition, Green Community Development and a panel featuring CDCs that have done Transit-oriented Development, including the Columbia Heights Community Development Corporation and the Philadelphia Assoc. of CDC's member Puertorriquenos en Marcha. Green panels will include: "Green Opportunities in the Stimulus Bill" and "Green Building at the Grass Roots in Florida" with the Grace & Truth CDC.

The Summit will also focus on the federal level, including panels: "Advancing Federal and State Community Development Policy Opportunities and Strategy for 2009;" "The 2010 Federal Budget: What it holds for Community Development and Housing;" "Gaining Influence on the Hill: Political Mapping, Building Support for Community Development with Congress" and "State Policy and Advocacy Strategies around Federal Policy."

"It is more important than ever to connect the community development organizations with each other and with national leaders," said NACEDA Executive Director Jane DeMarines. "This summit is the premiere gathering of community development professionals and NACEDA is providing a wide breadth of opportunities for our members to network, acquire new skills, share lessons learned and have conversations with Washington leaders about issues that impact their work on a daily basis."

Media are welcome at certain portions of the Summit, please visit www.NACEDA.org to see the latest agenda or contact Jane DeMarines for press registration or more information: jdemarines@naceda.org.

# # #

About NACEDA and the CDC Industry
Through its member network state/city/regional associations, NACEDA represents more than 3,000 community development corporations. In 2005, as an industry total (aggregate) CDCs produced: 1.3 million homes (since 1988), 774,000 new jobs and 126 million sq feet of commercial/industrial space, housing for special needs populations and nearly 2/3 of CDCs offer homeownership counseling.