At NH&RA’s 2025 Summer Institute, Michaels Organization EVP Milton “Milt” Pratt joined NH&RA President Peter Bell for a wide-ranging conversation on his nearly 40-year affordable housing career, highlighting the value of industry relationships, mentorship, and a steadfast commitment to “taking care of families and lifting lives.”

Advancements in supply chain management have enabled significant cost savings and operational efficiencies in affordable housing construction. For housing providers the potential dividends can be enormous, with decreased friction in the procurement of raw materials, predictable project costs and timelines, and downstream logistical efficiencies during construction itself.

At NH&RA’s Summer Institute in Boulder, CO, questions about the current administration’s impact on the affordable housing industry dominated the discussion. But there were also valuable talks centered on new building practices that exemplify the industry’s history of resilience and innovation.

Vince Bennett, President, McCormack Baron Salazar examines the balance between building quality housing and supporting families through services tailored to their needs.

Since 2008, HUD-VASH has acted as a bulwark against veteran homelessness.
Because it serves a uniquely complex sub-group of America’s homeless population and is likewise composed of a uniquely complex development application and approval process, this presents a singular set of robust incentives, and potential challenges, for prospective developers.

Adaptive reuse can be a greener, less expensive, and more attractive alternative to new construction. For cities with a glut of older buildings, renovating and repurposing those structures can be an enticing way for politicians and planning officials to lessen a housing crisis.

The unease that gripped the LIHTC investor market earlier this year—following a new administration and some uncertainty in Washington—has started to lift, according to industry syndicators. The market is further buoyed by the continued legislative advance of the AHCIA.