Fall Conference Agenda

Wednesday, Oct. 21

7:30-9:30 p.m. Emerald Lounge Social

Click your heels together and join us for a casual evening where friendship, fun, networking and snacks await.

Thursday, Oct. 22

9 a.m.-12 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

HUD: VAWA Compliance Made Clear — Protect Your Residentsand Perfect Your Policies & Understanding Your HAP Contract
Speaker: Jenny DeSilva, CMH, COS, TaCCs, DeSilva Housing Group
Eligible for Real Estate Continuing Education Credit with fee & form
Strengthen your HUD Multifamily compliance knowledge with this practical session covering two critical areas: VAWA requirements and HAP contracts. Attendees will learn how to incorporate current VAWA protections into policies, screening, recertifications, terminations, and Emergency Transfer Plans while ensuring survivors receive the protections and options required by HUD. The session will also help owners and property staff better understand and interpret their HAP contracts so they can operate their properties correctly and accurately complete key documents, including Tenant Selection Plans.

LIHTC: HOTMA Income Unpacked — Definitions, Verification & Calculations
Speaker: Susie Ortega, Director of Compliance, M&L Compliance Management
Eligible for Real Estate Continuing Education Credit with fee & form
HOTMA changed the way income is defined, verified, and calculated—and getting the details right is critical to accurate tenant certifications. This session breaks down the revised HOTMA income definitions and the hierarchy of verification, with a focus on how to apply the rules in day-to-day compliance. Participants will explore income calculation requirements, including how to handle challenging income sources and student financial assistance. Through practical examples and discussion, attendees will gain the tools and confidence needed to correctly apply HOTMA income rules and avoid common calculation and documentation errors.

Maintenance: Maintenance in OZ: New Tooks, New Trends & a Changing Workforce
Speaker: Mark Cukro, President, Plus One Consulting
Property maintenance is changing rapidly as new technologies, workforce expectations, and modern tools reshape how teams operate and deliver service. This session explores trends including predictive maintenance, automation, digital diagnostics, technical upskilling, evolving safety standards, and new approaches to developing and retaining maintenance professionals. Attendees will leave with practical insight into where the industry is headed and how to prepare their teams to improve efficiency, reliability, safety, and service quality.

Service: unBINGOing Resident Services — Creating Meaningful Connections through Purposeful Engagement
Speaker: Karla Trammell, Director of Community Life and Community Impact, TREK Development
This session challenges the traditional resident services model and explores opportunities that can create connection, purpose, and build community. Participants will explore how to rethink familiar programs and everyday interactions through a more intentional, resident-centered lens. Uncover practical strategies for designing engagement opportunities that reflect residents’ interests, strengths, and goals. Walk away with creative ideas, new questions to ask, and practical tools to transform resident services from a schedule of activities into opportunities for meaningful connection and purposeful engagement.

Service: Hoarding
Speaker: David Delvaux, Clinical Liason, Clarion Psychiatric Center
Explore the foundational concepts of Hoarding Disorder in this informative session. The presentation will define the disorder, detail its risk factors and warning signs, and outline recommended treatment interventions. Attendees will also analyze a video case study on the Collyer brothers, the first highly publicized hoarding case in U.S. history, followed by an interactive group discussion.

12 p.m. Lunch Buffet

1:30-4:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

HUD: Demystifying Deductions & EIV 101 — What to Print, When to File and How to Stay Ahead
Speaker: Jenny DeSilva, CMH, COS, TaCCs, DeSilva Housing Group
Eligible for Real Estate Continuing Education Credit with fee & form
Build confidence in two essential areas of HUD compliance with this practical, interactive session covering deductions and the Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system. Attendees will learn how to determine deduction eligibility, accurately calculate and verify expenses, navigate common medical and childcare scenarios, and apply their knowledge to real-world situations. The session will also break down EIV reporting, including what to print, when to file it, how to use the Existing Tenant Search, and how to keep files organized, compliant, and ready for your next Management and Occupancy Review.

LIHTC: HOTMA Assets Unpacked — Calculations, Self-Certification & Real-World Application
Speaker: Susie Ortega, Director of Compliance, M&L Compliance Management
Eligible for Real Estate Continuing Education Credit with fee & form
HOTMA introduced significant changes to the treatment and verification of family assets. This hands-on session focuses on understanding the new asset rules, determining what must be included, and accurately calculating asset income. Participants will work through a practical case study that walks through the completion of the HOTMA Asset Self-Certification and HOTMA Tenant Income Certification (TIC). The session will emphasize real-world application, documentation, and common compliance considerations so attendees can confidently apply HOTMA asset requirements in their day-to-day work. We will also go over how to confidently understand your HAP contract.

Maintenance: Lifecycle of a Building — There’s No Place Like a Well-Maintained Home
Speaker: Mark Cukro, President, Plus One Consulting
Understanding how long building materials, equipment, and appliances should last is key to planning an effective and cost-efficient maintenance program. This session explores expected lifespans and industry standards to help attendees better anticipate repairs, replacements, service needs, and capital projects. Participants will also receive a practical timeline of what to expect over the next 0–5 years, 5–10 years, and beyond, helping their teams stay ahead of maintenance needs rather than simply reacting to them.

Service: Drug Use & Health
Speaker: Becca Mull, Program Supervisor, Prevention/Education Services, Director, Somerset County Drug-Free Communities, UPMC Western Behavioral Health at Twin Lakes
Substance use trends can impact communities, families, and residential properties in ways that property managers may encounter firsthand. This presentation will provide an overview of current substance use trends, emerging concerns, and local prevention efforts. Participants will learn how to recognize potential warning signs, understand the importance of prevention and early intervention, and identify practical steps property managers can take to stay informed and support safe, healthy residential communities.

Service: Orange Circles
Speaker: Kennedy Northrop
The Orange Circles Training equips school personnel and community members with the tools to recognize and respond to family violence and teen dating violence affecting children and youth. Participants will learn to identify signs of abuse, understand its impact, and use the Identify, Act, and Connect approach to safely connect young people with appropriate support and resources. The training also explores how schools and communities can work together to build stronger, safer environments that empower youth, encourage bystander intervention, and help prevent violence.

5 p.m. Dinner Buffet

7:30-11 p.m. Munchkinland Mix & Mingle at the Matterhorn Lounge

Follow the Yellow Brick Road and join us for an enchanting evening beyond the Emerald City! Gather your fellow Munchkins, dust off your ruby slippers, and venture down to the Matterhorn Lounge for a little fun, DJ entertainment, prizes and surprises!

Friday, Oct. 23

Breakfast Buffet, Affordable Housing Panel & Keynote

Live, Grow & Thrive — Finding Your Courage, Heart & Wisdom
Speaker: Mark Cukro, President, Plus One Consulting
Change and challenges are inevitable, but how we respond to them can determine whether progress lasts or fades over time. This engaging session explores how to identify the barriers and common mistakes that can derail improvement while uncovering opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive through change. Attendees will discover strategies for embracing change with a more positive mindset, encouraging innovation, and creating meaningful improvements that last.

This fun, engaging and insightful session is about dealing with challenges in our industry, on our properties and in our lives and how to not only overcome them, but how to find the unique lesson in each experience and use it to grow and thrive beyond your expectations.

Affordable Housing Panel
A panel of affordable housing professionals sharing the journey throughout their careers.