Housing summit in Hannibal on June 13 to tout innovations helping people become homeowners

HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Tri-State Housing Summit will showcase cutting-edge efforts aimed at helping more people become homeowners.

The free event for residents, businesses and stakeholders from Missouri, Illinois and Iowa begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 13, at the Rialto Banquet Center, 601 Broadway in Hannibal. The program will run from 9 a.m. to noon.

The hosts of this annual event are the North East Community Action Corporation of Bowling Green, Two Rivers Regional Council of Quincy, Ill., and the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission of Burlington, Iowa. NECAC organized the first summit in 2005.

“Housing is a key ingredient of economic success, and without a wide range of homes that are attractive and affordable, our communities will not grow or prosper,” NECAC Deputy Director for Housing Development Programs and summit organizer Carla Potts said in a press release. “We’re very excited about the housing summit. We believe this is an excellent time for communities and residents to come together and work toward addressing our housing needs.”

Speakers will be representatives of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Missouri Inclusive Housing, Anchor House, AmeriCorps, the Missouri House of Representatives and the Drew Lewis Foundation.

One of summit’s biggest triumphs came in 2013 when NECAC helped bring a U.S. Department of Agriculture Great Regions designation to the 35-county area that makes up the Tri-State Development Summit. Housing is one of the steering committees. The designation gave the region another tool in building a stronger housing market.

The housing summit also has showcased:

• the USDA Self-Help Housing Program and the Aspire Partnership small homes program in northeast Missouri;
• the repurposing of a former school in Fort Madison, Iowa;
• the redevelopment of a movie theater in Burlington, Iowa;
• and weatherization efforts in Illinois.

More information about this year’s event is available by calling NECAC 573-324-6622.