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Opening Session Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen, and welcome to the League of Municipalities’ Educational Foundation’s 2009 Housing Summit. I am Louise Wilson, Mayor of Montgomery Township in Somerset County, President of the NJLM Educational Foundation, and the League’s 2ND Vice President. The nation’s and New Jersey’s economies and housing markets are experiencing historically, indeed appallingly bad times. In this troubling context, what are the New Realities, the real world implications, the policy issues and very latest information related to financial markets, COAH, foreclosures, state financing and housing programs, successful partnerships and development strategies? Those are the questions we are here today to explore. Speaking for the Board of the Educational Foundation, I am delighted that we have such a great variety of people and perspectives in the room. There are local officials from a wide variety of cities, townships and boroughs; there are academics and policy wonks; policy makers and decision-makers; advocates and non-profits, big-name builders and smaller contractors. And what a timely topic – housing. One word, but it gets the blood flowing, doesn’t it?? People who get paid to think great thoughts and solve big problems say persuasively that when America emerges from this wrenching Great Recession, we will look out upon a new landscape, forever changed. We keep hearing that bad, bad times bring big, big opportunities. History shows examples. But today, in our world -- in New Jersey -- What are those opportunities? What will that landscape look like, and what needs to be done right now to position our communities and our state to ride the crest of the recovery wave? I don’t pretend to know the answers; that’s why we have a panel of experts. But I do know that a very important part of the answer relates to housing – in sufficient quantity, affordable, and located in the right places. So let me turn to our panelists for some insight, to begin what I hope is a richly informative and thought-provoking day. We have with us this morning: JIM HUGHES, Dean of the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, and also a trustee of the League’s Educational Foundation. JOSEPH DORIA, JR., Commissioner, Department of Community Affairs MARGE DELLA VECCHIA, Executive Director, New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, Department of Community Affairs DEFOREST B. SOARIES, JR., Reverend, First Baptist Church of Lincoln Garden, Somerset PETER REINHART, ESQ., General Counsel, K. Hovnanian Homes, Inc. One more thing before we begin – I would like to set a ground rule that hopefully will endure throughout the day. To the extent practicable, let’s try to steer clear of rehashing disputes about the COAH regulations. I don’t mean to impede lively discussion and debate, or willfully ignore an 800-pound gorilla in the room. Obviously COAH, and the associated litigation over the 3rd round rules, is a topic that many of us think about and agonize over --more than is entirely healthy, to be perfectly frank. The mission of the League’s Educational Foundation is to explore, discuss and promote solutions for some of the biggest challenges and problems we confront in New Jersey. Whatever the courts do with COAH, local governments will still grapple with issues related to growth, housing and affordability. So, today we focus on these bigger, fundamental issues – trying not to view them through any particular lens, but with eyes on the horizon (squinting to make out that new landscape) and with minds open to new information and different perspectives. Thank you for listening so patiently to my high-minded preamble! Let’s get started.
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