CHAPA's 2025 Housing Summit

At CHAPA’s 2025 Housing Summit, you’ll engage in powerful discussions, network with top professionals, and explore innovative strategies for scaling successful housing developments and increasing the region’s housing supply.

Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to connect with more than 400 industry leaders, changemakers, and advocates dedicated to expanding affordable housing development to achieve the collective goal of 222,000 homes by 2035.

Please get in touch with Maritza Crossen ([email protected]) with any questions about sponsorship or the event, or if the cost of an individual ticket is prohibitive.

• $250 for CHAPA members
• $275 for non-members

• Foundation Sponsor: $5,000+
• Community Sponsor: $10,000+
• Builder Sponsor: $15,000+
• Cornerstone Sponsor: $20,000+
• Champion Sponsor: $35,000+
• Pillar Sponsor: $50,000+

See the Housing Summit Sponsorship Brochure for more details.

Check in at registration, enjoy a light breakfast, and network with 400 other industry professionals before the Summit Welcome Address begins.

Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC) Secretary Ed Augustus

Citizens’ Housing & Planning Association (CHAPA) Chief Executive Director, Rachel Heller

Massachusetts has a unique opportunity to lead the nation in modular housing innovation. This panel will explore the economic development potential of positioning the state as a hub for modular construction—from job creation and supply chain growth to housing production at scale. Panelists will discuss real-world examples, the broader economic implications, and how we can integrate modular into the Commonwealth’s economic development strategy. What will it take to create the environment for this vision to become reality?

• Moderator: Glynn Lloyd, Executive Director, Nectar Community Investments
• Vikas Enti, Co-Founder and CEO, Reframe Systems
• Keith Fairey, President and CEO, Way Finders
• Lizzi Weyant, Acting Executive Director, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)

Municipalities play a pivotal role in enabling housing production, but what does an ideal local development process truly look like? This panel will explore how cities and towns can design predictable, transparent systems that empower both communities and developers. We’ll examine best practices from municipalities like Concord, Newton, and Acton, and discuss how tools like CPA (Community Preservation Act) funding can be leveraged effectively. Key questions include: What do developers need to see in local processes and resources? How can policy be used to ensure both community benefit and development feasibility?

• Facilitator: Dana LeWinter, Chief of Public and Community Engagement, Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP)
• Neil Angus, FAICP CEP, LFA, LEED AP, Director, Devens Enterprise Commission
• Kenan Bigby, President, BLD Properties LLC
• Jenny Raitt, Executive Director, Northern Middlesex Council of Governments

Massachusetts faces a land use opportunity—and a challenge. This panel will explore how smart rezoning, infill development, and strategic land reuse can dramatically increase housing capacity across the Commonwealth. From transforming vacant parcels to repurposing state-owned land for residential use, panelists will dive into the tools and policies that can unlock new housing opportunities. What bold steps can the state and municipalities take to align land use with our housing goals?

• Michael Bobbitt, Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council
• Katie Everett, Executive Director, The Lynch Foundation

With federal climate funding facing significant cuts, how can Massachusetts continue to align affordable housing production and preservation with ambitious climate goals? This panel will explore practical strategies for achieving high-performance new construction, advancing toward Passive House standards, and retrofitting existing affordable housing, all within the limits of current state resources. Panelists will highlight innovative financing tools, design approaches, and partnerships that make sustainable, cost-effective housing possible, ensuring that affordability and climate resilience remain central to housing efforts despite fiscal constraints.

• Lauren Baumann, Director of Sustainability and Climate Initiatives, Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP)
• Emily Jones, Deputy Director, LISC Massachusetts
• Courtney Koslow, Vice President, Development, Beacon Communities
• Caitlin Robillard, Director of Real Estate Development, Allston Brighton CDC
• Maggie Super Church, Director of Policies and Programs, Massachusetts Community Climate Bank (MCCB)
• Dave Traggorth, Principal, Causeway Development

Enjoy a catered lunch while networking with colleagues, experts, and panelists.

Modular construction is transforming how we deliver affordable housing—but how do we move from talk to action? This panel dives into real-world case studies of rental and homeownership developments that have successfully used volumetric modular construction to scale production across New England. Panelists will share lessons learned, strategies for integrating modular into projects, and how their teams overcame inertia to build smarter, faster, and more affordably.

• Moderator: Kendra Halliwell AIA, LEED AP, Associate Principal, Design Team Leader, Icon Architecture
• Rodger Brown, Managing Director, Real Estate Development, Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH)
• Beverly Craig, LEED AP, Program Director, High Performance Buildings, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
• Sarah Meier-Zimbler, Director of Development, Holyoke Housing Authority

A lack of water and wastewater infrastructure remains one of the most significant—and solvable—barriers to housing production in Massachusetts. This panel will explore key recommendations from the state’s Unlocking Housing Production report, including innovative financing mechanisms, private system subsidies, and developer-led sewer extensions. Panelists will discuss how to align environmental standards with smart growth and explore bold new funding models that can unlock stalled developments. Join us for a practical conversation about how Massachusetts can modernize infrastructure policy to enable both housing growth and environmental stewardship.

• Moderator: Clark Ziegler, Executive Director, Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP)
• John Beling, Deputy Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)

This panel will explore innovative financial strategies to increase the development of affordable housing across the state. Panelists will discuss programs such as the Massachusetts Equitable Developers Fund, PACE financing, and share insights from institutional investors on what drives their investment decisions in affordable housing projects. This interactive session invites attendees to collaboratively identify barriers and brainstorm bold changes needed in our financing systems. Attendees will gain practical knowledge on creative funding approaches and learn how to leverage these tools to make affordable housing development more feasible and impactful.

• Moderator: Colin Higgins, Executive Director, National Housing Crisis Task Force
• Tony Bertoldi, Chief Executive Officer, CREA, LLC
• Adam Galowitz, Managing Director, State Street
• Chrystal Kornegay, CEO, MassHousing
• Moddie Turray, President & CEO, Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC)

As Massachusetts works toward its ambitious housing and climate goals, innovative construction methods are essential. Mass timber offers a sustainable, cost-effective alternative to traditional concrete and steel. This panel will explore how mass timber can accelerate housing production, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance building performance. Panelists, including developers, engineers, code experts, and manufacturers, will share insights on the benefits, challenges, and future potential of mass timber in advancing the state’s housing priorities.

• Moderator: Jason Korb, Principal, Capstone Communities, LLC
• Patrick Duffy, PE, Regional Director, New England, WoodWorks – Wood Products Council
• Joseph Igoe, Project Manager, Code Red Consultants, LLC

With an aging construction workforce and growing housing demand, the need to train and empower the next generation of skilled workers has never been more urgent. This panel will focus on building strong, inclusive workforce systems, especially for builders of color. Panelists will explore strategies to create accessible pathways into the trades, strengthen training infrastructure, and ensure that the future of construction is diverse, local, and ready to meet the moment.

• Moderator: André Barbour, Diversity and Inclusion Director, NEI General Contracting
• Nate Bae Kupel, Managing Director of Youth Programs, Just A Start
• Ben Forman, Research Director, MassINC Policy Center
• Chrissy Lynch, President, Massachusetts American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)

Citizens’ Housing & Planning Association (CHAPA) Chief Executive Director, Rachel Heller

Wrap up the day with cocktails with other Summit guests!