Data Day 2014: Focus on housing

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Does your business or nonprofit use housing data? Would you like to learn more about how to use local and national housing data more effectively?

The second annual Charlotte Data Day kicks off at 8:30 a.m. June 17 at the UNC Charlotte Center City campus, 320 E. Ninth St. in Charlotte. This year’s event will focus on local, state and national housing data and will include presentations and workshops by housing experts at government agencies, advocacy organizations and universities. (See registration information below).

Attend the event, see full agenda

The website for the event is here. Find the full agenda, registration and parking information.

Keynote speaker Chris Estes, president of the National Housing Conference, will begin the event with a discussion of recent trends in federal housing policy and how they affect housing in the Charlotte region. Before joining the NHC in 2012, Estes was head of the North Carolina Housing Coalition,  an affordable housing advocacy organization, from 2003 until 2012. During his time in North Carolina, he was appointed to the Housing Study Committee of the N.C. General Assembly and published, along with David Chenoweth, a report on the Economic Costs of Substandard Housing Conditions among North Carolina Children. Estes will be joined by Matthew Martin, senior vice president and Charlotte regional executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

Afternoon sessions will include a free networking lunch and a selection of hands-on workshops.

  • Economist and data visualization expert Jonathan Schwabish, host of Policyviz.com, will direct a workshop on how to create data visualizations using Microsoft Excel and other accessible programs.
  • Josh Geyer, from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will introduce HUD’s Location Affordability Portal. The Location Affordability Portal takes transportation costs into account when determining housing affordability.
  • Jessica Russell, from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will provide an overview of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) and in-depth demonstration of the new online HMDA data tools.

Lab computers are limited, so visitors are encouraged to bring their own laptops.

Other speakers include:

  • UNC Charlotte social work professor Lori Thomas, who will discuss homelessness and the data available through the Charlotte Point-In-Time Survey;
  • UNC Charlotte economics professor and Center for Real Estate co-director Stephen Billings, on research about transit lines and housing costs and how the planned LYNX Blue Line Extension might affect home values in Charlotte.  
  • Satana Deberry, executive director of the North Carolina Housing Coalition, who will discuss housing affordability issues throughout the state.
  • Rebecca Hefner, community reserach manager at the City of Charlotte, who will present a variety of housing data to show what is happening in Charlotte neighborhoods.
  • Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Charlotte Branch Economist Rick Kaglic, who will discuss data about Charlotte foreclosures.

The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s Charlotte Branch, along with the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, are hosting the event.

The event is free, but registration is required. Register here