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Regional Industry Support Enterprise (RISE) hosts attainable-housing forum
RISE Housing Forum panel
Panelists discussed strategies for attainable housing within the eight-county RISE region. Pictured from left, are: Ryan Thompson from Thomas & Hutton; Laura Moore from BankSouth; Bryan Wardlaw from Landmark 24; Nick Milionis from Chatham County; Derek Cathcart from City of Pembroke; and Laura Lane McKinnon from Housing Savannah. (Submitted photo.)

Special to the Herald

SAVANNAH – The Regional Industry Support Enterprise (RISE) hosted Building the Future: An Interactive Discussion on Attainable Housing Dec. 20. The event was held at the Mikell Foxworth Gym in Pembroke.

Local government planners, bankers, builders, developers, realtors and other housing professionals and experts from throughout the eight-county RISE region came together to discuss attainable housing.

RISE encompasses the local region including Bryan, Bulloch, Candler, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Liberty and Screven counties The Mikell Foxworth Gym was chosen due to its proximity to existing attainable housing developments, including a development built with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and homes built using programs offered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

 “We were very pleased with the diversity of attendees who came to the event last week,” said RISE President & CEO Anna Chafin. “I think people appreciated the opportunity to meet and interact with public and private-sector professionals in housing-related industries from around the region.”

Attendees of the event had the opportunity to see presentations highlighting affordability gaps and outlining supply/demand differences for housing throughout the region. They also heard a panel discussion about existing attainable housing projects/barriers.

Panelists included local government officials, a developer, a landscape architect and a local banker. These presentations and the panel set the stage for interactive breakout sessions in which attendees could participate. The breakout sessions made up the majority of the event, and the sessions presented the opportunity for attendees to have conversations about topics related to attainable housing. Topics discussed during the sessions included transportation, infrastructure, zoning and ordinances, and creative financing.