Foundations for Comprehensive Partnerships

Agenda with Presentations

8:30-9:30         Breakfast and Networking

9:30-9:45         Welcome and Introductions
Danny Gardner, Senior Vice President, Single-Family Affordable Lending and Interim Head of Sales, Freddie Mac

9:45-10:00       Overview of the Day
Chuck Wehrwein, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, The Housing Partnership Network (HPN)

10:00-10:20     HUD Technology & Opportunities for Innovation
Arthur (“Artie”) Chin, Lead IT FHA Transformation Advisor, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Summary: Mr. Chin described the details and timeline for HUDs technology modernization initiative which will bring HUDs IT infrastructure into the 21st century, with data standardazition as a key element.  The hope is that the project will facilitate more streamlined and timely loan decisions and enhanced performance tracking, and lay the foundation for better integration between the counseling sector and HUD/FHAs lenders

10:20-11:30     Panel Discussion: Technology Innovations and Prospects for Deeper Partnerships with the Counseling Industry 
Moderator: Christine W. Gould, Chief Development & Communications Officer, HomeFree-USA

Panelists:
  • Mike Dawson, Vice President, Single-Family Affordable Lending Strategies and Initiatives, Freddie Mac
    Presentation
  • Patrick (“P.J.”) McCarthy, Vice President, Community Lending, Fannie Mae
    Presentation
  • Danberry Carmon, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Housing Counseling, HUD
    Presentation

Summary: Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae shared high level details on recent technology innovations they have introduced and helped the counseling sector better understand where they are focused in terms of continued innovation.  Both GSEs envision using new technology to build linkages between consumers and the counseling sector, as they and lenders recognize better educated and prepared consumers could help further reduce lender costs.  HUD shared insight into priorities and performance of HUD counseling agencies.  Themes included the importance of building the narrative around counseling and demonstrating the value.

11:30-12:30     Lunch

12:30-12:35     Introduction to MISMO Discussion
David Barkley, Business Initiatives Director, Single-Family Business, Freddie Mac
Presentation

12:35-1:30       Overview of MISMO Assessment and Presentation on Assessment Findings
David Young, Director of Capacity Building, Housing Action Illinois
Jarett Duker, Partner and Principal Consultant, Brick Bridge Consulting
Presentation

Summary: Presentation on the Counseling sector’s work to assess the current CMS infrastructure and determining what it would take to have CMSs adopt the lastest MISMO standards plus commit to maintaining conformance over time.  The team shared their detailed findings on the current MISMO data set and the initial prioritization analysis they conducted. 

1:30-1:45         Expanding the MISMO Standards
Jan Davis, Vice President, MISMO
Presentation

Summary: Explanation ofthe structure of MISMO, how various industry sectors participate and the process they use to define problems, explore solutions and how that translates into the evolution of data definitions and formats that the industry uses.  Jan also shared how the counseling sector could participate and gave us a sense as to how our sector would work to include data elements we believe should be included into the mix. 

1:45-2:00         Break

2:00-2:15         Housing Counseling Industry Vision on Data Standards and Fee-for-Service Framework
Matt Ribe, General Counsel, National Foundation for Credit Counseling
Presentation

Summary: Presentation focused on Coalition of HUD Intermediaries Joint Statement that explains the importance of data standardization for helping the counseling sector.  See the Joint Statement. He also reviewed the recent No Action Letters that were issued by CFPB and HUD that clarifies the parameters for lenders to pay for counseling services and shared a cost framework for fee-for service agreements.

2:15-2:30         CMS Perspectives on Data Standards
Tiffany Eng, Director of HomeKeeper, Grounded Solutions Network
Presentation

Sireesha Mandava, CIO and Vice President of Innovation, GreenPath
Presentation

Summary: We had representatives from a  public and a proprietary CMS to explain their perspectives on the benefits to the housing industry in pursuing data standardization, while also  identifying some of the challenges like, cost, time longer term investment and maintenance issues they’ll need to consider to determine the impact on their CMS. 

2:30-3:45         Panel Discussion:  Where Do We Go From Here?
Moderator: Meaghan McCarthy, Vice President, Affordable Housing and Consumer Empowerment, HPN

 Panelists:

  • Matt Ribe, General Counsel, National Foundation for Credit Counseling
  • Tiffany Eng, Director of Homekeeper, Ground Solutions Network
  • Sireesha Mandava, CIO and Vice President of Innovation, Green Path
  • David Young, Director of Capacity Building, Housing Action Illinois
  • Jan Davis, Vice President, MISMO

Summary:  This panel discussed opportunities and challenges to moving toward data standards. Many of the next steps identified were generated through this discussion.

3:45-4:00         Closing Remarks

4:00-5:00         Networking Reception