Nicolas P. Retsinas, Director of Harvard Universitys Joint Center for Housing Studies, to Lead Executive Education Seminar Focused on Developing Workforce Housing

Developing Workforce Housing, a new Harvard Design School executive education seminar scheduled on July 14, will be led by Nicolas P. Retsinas, Director of Harvard Universitys Joint Center for Housing Studies

(PRWEB) June 19, 2005 -- On July 14, Harvard Design Schools Office of Executive Education will present, Developing Workforce Housing, a new two-day seminar led by Nicolas P. Retsinas, director of Harvards Joint Center for Housing Studies and former Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The seminar was created in response to the growing awareness of the need for affordable workforce housing and examines how that need is shaping the priorities of communities, employers, policymakers, and planners around the nation.

Successful, sustainable economies need a diverse workforce and all workers need homes that meet their familys needs. A recent National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) study found that workers who provide vital services to the community, including teachers, hospital workers, firefighters and policemen, have a difficult time finding affordable housing in the nations top 25 metropolitan areas. The result is that more and more people are either paying too high a percentage of their income for housing or are forced to endure long commutes to work from the communities where they can afford to live.

According to Retsinas, In the amount of time that the number of single-family homes affordable to working families has increased ten percent, the number of jobs in retail and service industries has increased almost 100 percent."

Successful workforce housing development depends on identifying and assessing sites with market potential, mastering regulatory complexity, and working with local government and community groups to create acceptable developments," adds Retsinas.

Designed to challenge assumptions and broaden perspectives, Developing Workforce Housing will consist of a blend of modules that address the market for workforce housing; state and local regulations intended to channel or manage growth; the development of workforce housing in both inner-ring suburbs and urban contexts that require adaptive reuse or infill; and the navigation of regulatory complexity.

Joining Mr. Retsinas will be a group of renowned guest speakers including:
• Eric Belsky, executive director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University and Harvard Design School lecturer
• Lee Cott, adjunct professor in urban design at Harvard Design School and a founding principal of Bruner/Cott & Associates, Cambridge, MA
• Edward Marchant, adjunct lecturer in public policy at Harvards Kennedy School of Government
• Arthur Segel, Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School

About the Office of Executive Education at Harvard Design School:
The Office of Executive Education at Harvard Design School is the foremost provider of Executive Education programs for architects, planners, landscape architects, and real estate and building industry professionals. Drawing upon the unparalleled resources of Harvard University, Executive Education programs are led by renowned faculty from the Design School, the Business School, the Law School, and the Kennedy School of Government, as well as eminent practitioners and scholars from across the country and around the world. For more information, visit www.gsd.harvard.edu/execed.

About the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University
The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University is the nations leading center for information and research on housing in the United States. The Joint Center analyzes the dynamic relationships between housing markets and economic, demographic, and social trends, providing leaders in government, business, and the non-profit sector with the knowledge needed to develop effective policies and strategies. Established in 1959, the Joint Center is a collaborative unit affiliated with the Harvard Design School and the Kennedy School of Government. Nicolas P. Retsinas is the Director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies. For more information, visit www.jchs.harvard.edu

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