On April 27 the University of Iowa Department of Urban and Regional Planning co-sponsored the Iowa Home Ownership Education Project (IHOEP) Spring Conference in Iowa City. IHOEP is an “alliance of organizations committed to establishing a statewide homeownership counseling and education initiative.” Conference sponsors included Iowa Finance Authority, Fannie Mae, and USDA Rural Development.

More than 50 registered guests participated in breakout sessions on topics such as Self-Help Housing, Bankruptcy Update: Impact of New Law, Financing Rehab & Energy Efficient Rehab, and Home Ownership Outreach to Minorities. Heather MacDonald, Associate Professor of Urban & Regional Planning, presented a lunchtime address on The American Community Survey: warm, but fuzzy? IHOEP has been holding biannual conferences at various locations in Iowa for nearly five years.