Site Tools:

Calendar

Contact Information

Site Map

Site Search

NAHRO Home

Upcoming Conferences

      - METRO System Map

      - DC Visitors Bureau

Sponsorship Opportunities

2008 Calendar

Exhibitors

Conference Sessions on Tape

Conferences

Recovery and Reinvestment -- Strengthening and Rebuilding Our Communities, Regions and the Nation
July 16-18, 2009
Hilton Portland and Executive Towers
921 SW Sixth Avenue, Portland, OR 97204

• Registration information -- Advance registration is now closed for the 2009 Summer Confernce. You may register onsite at the Hilton Portland and Executive Towers beginning, July 15 at 11:00 a.m. on the ballroom level.
• Hotel Information -- At this time the NAHRO room blocks/discounted rates at the Hilton Portland and Executive Towers, the Heathman and the Nines have been released.   A limited number of rooms may still be available but please note, room rate and availability are now at the hotel's discretion. Please see the hotel section for more information.
• Brochure (PDF format)
• Schedule of Events -- includes pre- and post-conference seminars, leadership meetings and conference activities (Please check back periodically for updates to the schedule -- last update 4/15.)
• General Information (conference fees, hotel, travel, scooter rentals, etc.)
• Pre- and Post-Conference Seminars and Exams
• Sponsorship Information

It is an exciting time in the housing and community development profession! The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the funding it provided to our members have positioned the housing and community development industry as leaders in rebuilding our economy. The conference theme, “Recovery and Reinvestment—Strengthening and Rebuilding our Communities, Region and the Nation,” reflects the content of sessions where we will discuss, examine and explore the tools and opportunities that are available so you can effectively engage in rebuilding our economy. Of course, no conference in Portland would be complete without sessions on green building, as Portland is one of, if not the greenest, cities in America.

Continuing our yearlong celebration of the association’s rich 75-year history, the 75th Anniversary Planning Committee has planned sessions that will spotlight the regions in a special concurrent session and a Parade of Flags at the Opening Plenary Session. Each region will also create and donate a basket of unique products from that area. You may purchase a raffle ticket on-site for your chance to win. Proceeds will benefit the John Carroll Scholarship program.

At the Awards Showcase on Saturday morning, you will have a first-hand look at the innovative programs and services that agencies are developing throughout the country that might work for your agency. The interactive agency forums will provide an opportunity to voice your concerns on specific topics that were examined in concurrent sessions, and the Study Tours on Saturday morning will highlight the great work of agencies in Portland and Vancouver. Also for the first time at a Summer Conference, commissioners may attend a track of sessions designed exclusively for them on agency operations for an additional fee. These sessions will run parallel with the concurrent sessions, and the special registration also includes the opening and closing plenary sessions, the Awards Showcase, the dinner show on Friday and the Agency Forums.

If you’ve never visited Portland, then you are in for an amazing experience.  Portland not only offers breathtaking countryside, but a vibrant city that is noted for its architecture, historical sites, cultural activities, shopping, renowned chefs, innovative public transportation, and a pedestrian-friendly downtown.  Portland is truly a green city and can be an inspiration to us all.  Come to Portland for the education and networking opportunities that the summer conference has to offer and stay for its unique appeal.

Schedule of Events
(Subject to change -- last updated 6/17/09)

Day I: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m./Day II: 8:00-1:00 p.m. (Separate registration and fee required.)
Ethics and the Housing/Community Development Commissioner Seminar

Day I: 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m./Day II: 8:30-12:00 p.m. (Separate registration and fee required.)
Understanding the Basics of Tax Credits Seminar

Day I: 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m./Day II: 8:30-4:30 p.m.
Section 3 -- Job Opportunities for Low-Income Persons Seminar -- This seminar has been cancelled

7:45-9:15 a.m.
Legislative and Regulatory Briefing for Committee and BOG Members

9:30-10:00 a.m.
Housing Committee

9:30-10:30 a.m.

• Professional Development Committee
• International Committee

9:30-10:45 a.m.
Commissioners' Committee

9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

• Community Revitalization and Development (CR&D) Committee
• Member Services Committee

9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Adapting Your HOME HomeBuyer Program to Current Market Conditions Seminar (separate registration required)

10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Housing Subcommittees

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
International Subcommittees

10:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Professional Development Subcommittees

10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Commissioners Subcommittees

12:30-1:30 p.m.
Board of Ethics and Credentialing Trustees (BECT)

12:30-1:30 p.m. (added 6/25)
Professional Intern Program Brown Bag Lunch Meeting

1:30-2:30 p.m.
Joint Meeting: Professional Development and Commissioners’ Professional Development Subcommittees

1:30-4:30 p.m.
International (Full) Committee Reconvenes

1:30-5:00 p.m.
Commissioners (Full) Committee Reconvenes

1:30-5:00 p.m.
Budget & Administration Committee Meeting

3:00-4:30 p.m.
Housing (Full) Committee Reconvenes

3:00-5:00 p.m.
Professional Development (Full) Committee Reconvenes

5:15-6:15 p.m.
Board of Ethics and Credentialing Trustees (BECT)

7:00-8:30 a.m. (time and day tentative)
Legislative Network/Housing America Task Force

10:30-11:30 a.m. (added 4/6)
75th Anniversary Committee

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (added 6/25)
Young Professionals & New Leaders Ad Hoc Group Meeting

2:00-3:00 p.m. (added 4/6)
Nominating and Election Committee

9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Board of Governors Meeting

1:00-2:00 p.m. (added 4/6)
Regional, Chapter and State Association's Senior Vice Presidents Meeting

3:00-4:00 p.m. (new time and day)
Regional, Chapter and State Association's Presidents Meeting

Summer Conference Activities

11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Early Bird Registration

5:00-6:00 p.m.
Briefing for First Time Attendees
 
6:00-7:00 p.m.
Welcome Reception

7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Registration

7:30-8:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

8:00-10:00 a.m.
Opening Plenary Session
The Opening Plenary Session not only will feature an address from the NAHRO President, a Washington Update from the Executive Director, and a Keynote speaker, as part of our ongoing 75th Anniversary Celebration, it will also highlight the eight regions that comprise NAHRO in a Parade of Flags presentation designed to inform and inspire you. 

Opening Session Speaker

Nick Fish is Commissioner-in-Charge of the Bureau of Housing and Portland Parks and Recreation. He is a former Commissioner and Vice-Chair of the Housing Authority of Portland (HAP). Nick is deeply committed to affordable housing and ending homelessness. In his service as a HAP Commissioner, he provided leadership and vision for the nationally recognized HOPE VI redevelopment, New Columbia. Prior to his election in May, 2008, Nick practiced law and hosted “Outlook Portland with Nick Fish,” on KRCW. Nick and his family live in the Grant Park neighborhood.

 10:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions

• Innovators in Housing
  What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas…until now.  Hear Carl Rowe’s thoughts on how to meet the needs of low income people and revitalize neighborhoods at the same time – in Las Vegas. Betsey Martens, of Boulder, Colorado – a town known for rejecting the status quo – will describe a few of their many innovative initiatives.  Initiatives that include master land planning and development of a 27 acre mixed-income, mixed-use neighborhood; conversion of public housing to tax-credit funded project-based housing; installation of a 52.5 KW photovoltaic system on public housing; and generating passive income from assets to support the Boulder Housing Partners’ mission. And in San Diego, where they say every day is the same – “72 degrees and sunny” – every day with Rick Gentry is anything but. Hear about Rick’s innovative approach in converting public housing to vouchers at this large housing authority. 
  
  
• Strategies that Enhance Community Relations in Section 8 HCV and Public Housing Programs -- New Day and Time
  Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program: Panelists will describe varied conditions around diverse areas around the country, that precipitate local opposition to the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, and the strategies they have found effective in mitigating potential or real conflicts. In some cases, the HCV program participants and the PHA, become scapegoats for larger problems or changes in the community over which the PHA has little apparent control. It appears that the best course of action for PHAs in such situations is to take ownership of the problem to resolve the controversy and to improve community relations.
  
  Public Housing: PHAs that have undertaken a disposition or demolition Public Housing project, or that have experienced a natural disaster, face a series of challenges in their communities. Panelists will describe their experiences and recommendations on effective practices in working with their Board of Commissioners to educate various constituencies within their communities including: city council and county commissioners, landlord associations and resident groups; about options to redevelop public housing and tenant relocation plans as well as the demographic composition of who the agency serves within a broad context of available and affordable assisted and unassisted housing within the community, the economic benefits to the surrounding community.
  
  
• The Neighborhood Stabilization Program: Challenges and Opportunities
  This session will examine the progress states, local governments, and their partners have made in implementing Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding provided through the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. Panelists will also review the status of the new, competitive round of NSP funding included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Special attention will be given to the role that NAHRO members can play in ensuring the program’s success.
  
  
• Commissioners as Ambassadors Series -- Stand Up and Be Heard!
  NAHRO’s Congressional Relations and Advocacy team will lead an interactive session to provide you with tips and information to enable you to better advocate in support of programs and resources necessary to meet local housing and community development needs.  This session will provide you with practical examples of how you can get your message across to decision makers and provide you with background information on who to communicate with, how they like to receive information, and the kinds of information they like to receive to help address legislative and policy matters. 
  
  
• Tax Credits: How to Address Your State’s Allocation Process -- This session will not be held.
  

10:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Commissioners Agency Operations Track (additional fee -- limited to 75)
For an additional fee of $125, commissioners can not only attend the summer conference, but a special track of sessions designed for them on agency operations that will run parallel to the concurrent sessions. This track will include four sessions that will cover the commissioner's understanding of operational and program diversity among agencies and the "Agency as a business" that must be continuously monitored and assessed. Participants and the instructor also will examine board-staff boundaries and responsibilities related to establishing and implementing agency policy and managing and overseeing operations and programs. The Commissioners Agency Operations Track is limited to 75 participants and will include the opening and closing plenary sessions, the awards showcase, the agency forums, the dinner show on Friday evening, plus the four sessions designed specifically for commissioners on agency operations.

12:00-1:15 p.m.
Lunch on Your Own

1:15-3:00 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions

• Looking Beyond HUD: New Tools for Going Green and Reducing Energy Costs
  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides funding for a number of tools that housing and community development professionals can use to improve the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of housing and other structures. Some of these tools rely on existing HUD programs with which you may already be familiar, while others are new programs or programs administered by other federal agencies. This session will explore the new resources available to you as you look to “go green.”
  
  
• Stimulus Funding Insurance Issues to Consider—Transferring The Risk of Claims (added 6/17/09)
  Billions of Dollars have been allocated for stimulating the economy. The funds are to be spent effectively on housing endeavors such as: renovations, weatherization, capital projects, rehab of vacant units, lead hazard reduction, first time homebuyers etc. In order to effectively reduce the risk of claims that may arise from to these expedited endeavors, contractual risk transfer needs to be practiced. Contractual Risk Transfer is the process in which housing authorities and other contracting parties require and review insurance for appropriate coverages from contractors, community based organizations and service providers working at housing authority locations. This includes affiliated non-profit and tax credit housing entities. This workshop will explore when and what types of insurance should be required for various types of contractors, as well as, for endeavors the housing authority may want to undertake by forced account. This workshop will analyze insurance requirements and hold harmless/indemnification clauses that should be in your bid packages and contracts. We will review actual insurance certificates and endorsements that should be required to protect the housing authority from financial losses to claims. This workshop is ideal for Management Personnel and contracting staff involved in Stimulus endeavors
  
  
• Affordable Housing Messages that Work
  All of us in housing have vital messages to share, but are we communicating effectively with the media and our communities—and most importantly—with decision makers? Several low-income housing organizations in Oregon and Washington have come together to frame messages that work in powerful ways to communicate housing issues to a variety of audiences. Through surveys, focus groups, and an in-use refining process by housing practitioners, this collaboration has developed a series of messages that resonate with the public, the media, and decision makers. This session will discuss crafting messages that work, effective messages that came out of the Northwest collaboration, and how those messages have been used successfully to share important housing messages all the way from local communities to Capitol Hill.
  
  
• Successful Planning for Emerging Leaders: Two Case Studies
  Come to this session and hear descriptions of “actual” models for implementing succession planning, both to identify and to select emerging leaders. The Lake County Housing Authority (Illinois) focuses on the leadership role of the Board of Commissioners and the situation of the retiring executive director in identifying the need for new executive leadership, as well as the process used to identify and groom a new executive director. Learn the steps taken to create a needs assessment and the planning process used to implement a new leader succession policy. The other case study describes the template used by the executive director and assistant director of the Allen Metropolitan Housing Authority (Lima, OH), in collaboration with the Board of Commissioners, to assess leadership needs and potential leaders and their skills, including personality tests, leadership styles, emotional intelligence, and agency culture. The second case study discusses training, assimilation and networking needed once the staff is selected.
  
  
• Project-basing Update -- This session will not be held.

1:15 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Commissioners Agency Operations Track (additional fee -- limited to 75)
See the Commissioners Agency Operations Track 10:15 a.m. listing for details.

3:15-5:00 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions

• This Just in from Washington
  NAHRO policy advisors will provide you with thoughtful commentary and analysis on cutting-edge issues followed by a question and answer period. Some hot topics that might be covered include HUD’s 2010 Budget; SEVRA, NSP; Economic Recovery Act implementation, and more.  For those who want to be in the know; this is one session you will not want to miss! 
  
  
• Public Housing Developments in Non-Traditional Settings -- (added 6/17/09)
  In the current economic climate, it is critical to be able to find ways to blend public housing developments with other types of real estate assets and products, such as condominiums, retail centers, office, community services and other types of mixed-use developments.  There are a variety of ways to marry these types of assets, and this panel will discuss the logistical aspects of combining public housing units with other types of real estate products, as well as the benefits and challenges of these models.
  
  
• Opportunities: How Regions Develop their Leadership (Revised 75th Anniversary Session)
  Regional presidents will showcase how regions provide leadership development, mentoring, conduct their business; share best practices, and describe how members can get involved in the NAHRO leadership at all levels as our industry continues to evolve. Learn of the opportunities available to you and your peers to incorporate into your agency, state or regional chapter.
  
  
• Using Federal Stimulus Dollars: A Composite Approach
  To implement successful programs in today’s complicated environment, it is often necessary to bring together multiple partners to create a mosaic from which overall change can be brought to a community.  This session will describe the efforts of two housing authorities, the Housing Authority of Portland and the Vancouver Housing Authority, whose communities border the Columbia River, to use Federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (Vancouver HA) and Recovery Act (HA of Portland) funding and work in concert with their local governments (City of Vancouver, City of Portland, and Multnomah County) to house homeless families, modernize and weatherize affordable housing, and promote homeownership, while at the same time offering employment and economic development opportunities.  Sustainability and green construction will also be key components of the capital work done through composite efforts while initiatives to prevent homelessness build on collaborative partnerships between the different jurisdictions.
  

Commissioners Agency Operations Track (additional fee -- limited to 75)
See the Commissioners Agency Operations Track 10:15 a.m. listing for details.

6:00-9:00 p.m. NEW
Special Screening of Where God Left His Shoes sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Regional Council and Bridges to Housing. Proceeds to benefit Bridges to Housing and the PNRC Scholarship Fund. Download the flyer. Purchase tickets online: http://neighborhoodpartnerships.org/donate-now/

7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Registration

8:00-9:30 a.m.
Awards Showcase and Continental Breakfast
The Awards Showcase affords you the opportunity to examine the outstanding work of this year’s Awards of Merit recipients.  This informal session is designed to maximize networking and member interaction.  Visit with the representatives from award-winning agencies and discuss the strategies behind their exceptional programs.
 
9:45-11:30 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions

• Preparing for HUD OIG Audits -- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
  This panel will discuss the importance of documenting key decisions, the standards for PHA decision-making, record-keeping and how to prepare when the OIG comes knocking on your door.
  
  
• Collaborations to End Homelessness: Bridges to Housing
  This session will focus on a unique multi-jurisdictional approach to bringing housing providers, funders, and service providers together to change systems focused on ending homelessness. Each of the four counties has a unique approach to Bridges to Housing, and a unique organizational culture, and presenters will focus on the similarities and differences they've identified in working towards a common goal. This panel will be facilitated by Janet Byrd, Executive Director of Neighborhood Partnerships, and will include a representative from the Housing Authority in each participating County.
  
  
• Transit-oriented and Joint Development: How PHAs Can Add Other Funding Sources
  The Department of Transportation provides affordable housing as an eligible item in their expansive capital grants program. Some PHAs are taking advantage of such funds and integrating CDBG, HOME, tax credits, and public housing monies with many sources to produce additional units. With DOT and HUD under the same House appropriations subcommittee and its chairperson pushing for such integration, the new administration is more than ready to help out with HUD and DOT/FTA appointees well experienced in this mix. This panel will explore the current landscape of such efforts - legislative, regulatory, and best practices.
  
  
• The Growing Importance of Application Services Providers to Public and Assisted Housing Providers -- Just Added
  This session will examine the growing adoption of Application Services Provider services (ASP) by public and private sector housing enterprises. ASP allows a company to focus on its principal business and contain costs by outsourcing IT infrastructure. This session will address the business drivers behind this billion-dollar industry, the pros and cons of engaging an ASP provider, and what to look for when choosing ASP. The session is designed for senior- and mid-level housing management professionals and will focus on the business, rather than the purely technical, aspects of the subject. The session will be helpful to agencies that anticipate selecting a new housing management and/or financial management software package. The speaker will provide important insights regarding why ASP services should be included in any requested scope of service or vendor evaluation.
  
  

9:45-11:30 a.m.
Commissioners Agency Operations Track (additional fee -- limited to 75)
See the Friday Commissioners Agency Operations Track 10:15 a.m. listing for details.

11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Lunch on Your Own

1:00-2:45 p.m.
Agency Forums
Each forum will be an interactive discussion led by a Forum Chair. The forums will explore how NAHRO can better serve the needs of its members by focusing on key issues that were covered in the concurrent sessions.

• Small
• Medium
• Large
• CD

3:00-4:45 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions

• PHAs' Operational Considerations in Implementing “Rent Refinement” Rule -- New Day and Time
  The purpose of HUD’s rent refinement rule is to strengthen income and rent integrity, thereby reducing overpayments. Implementation of the discretionary change contained in HUD’s rent refinement rule for PHAs in the collection of households’ annual incomes represents perhaps one of the most important and sweeping regulatory and administrative improvements to HUD’s assisted housing programs over the last decade. This session will cover agencies’ operational considerations in deciding which discretionary options to adopt.
  
  
• Leveraging Resources through Energy Financing Tools
  Panelists experienced with Energy Tax Credits, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, Energy Performance Contracting, and the incorporation of on-site energy generation facilities into affordable housing developments will provide attendees with an overview of strategies to maximize development dollars while fostering long-term energy stewardship.  The session will also explore the expanded public finance tools, including mixed public-private finance options available under the energy initiatives within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
  
  
• CDBG Update -- New Time
  This informal session featuring NAHRO staff and members will provide attendees with an opportunity to review and discuss the latest information on the Community Development Block Grant program, as well as related issues.  Conversation topics will include the Obama administration’s CDBG formula change proposal, implementation of CDBG Recovery Act resources, the future of the Section 108 program, and the transition to the reengineered IDIS. 

7:00-10:00 p.m.
Evening Event

8:00-10:15 a.m.
Closing Plenary Session and Candidates’ Forum

10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (New day/time)
Study Tours -- separate sign-up on-site

Housing and Community Development Tour of Developments by the Vancouver and Portland Housing Authorities
Both the Housing Authorities of Portland (OR) and Vancouver (WA) have demonstrated exceptional leadership in the field of affordable housing and community development over the last two decades.  By putting innovation and both federal and local resources together, HAP and VHA have delivered a formidable portfolio of housing and community developments that have enhanced the quality of life for local residents.  This guided bus tour will feature some of these developments and allow participants to experience the quality of life that they have created. The first stop, Humboldt Gardens, a relatively small development will showcase a small piece HAP’s HOPE VI work.  Then crossing the mighty Columbia River into the State of Washington, the tour will visit a joint VHA-Veteran’s Administration development, Central Park Place (2000 NAHRO Award of Excellence Winner).  Next, the tour moves on to Anthem Park (2004 NAHRO Award of Excellence Winner), a mixed income, mixed use development in the heart of Vancouver’s Uptown District.  The last stop before returning to the hotel, will be Esther Short Commons, another mixed income, mixed use development in downtown Vancouver that includes the Vancouver Farmers’ Market.  Esther Short Commons has won the AIA-HUD Secretary’s Award for best mixed use, mixed income development in the US (2006) and two NAHRO Awards of Excellence (2006). 

Downtown Portland's Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing Tour
Portland is a leader in developing transit oriented affordable housing.  This tour will utilize Portland Max transit system and its street car system.  You will have knowledgeable guides pointing out unique Portland landmarks along the way.  The Affordable housing tour will center on Portland's Pearl District and include Housing Authority of Portland developments as well as non-profit and for profit affordable housing developments. 

Post-Conference Professional Development Seminars and Exams

12:30-2:00 p.m. (Separate registration and fee required.)
NAHRO Proficiency Exam Retakes

12:30-3:00 p.m. (Separate registration and fee required.)
NAHRO Certification Exam Retakes

Day I: 12:30-5:00 p.m./Day II: 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Ethics Training for NAHRO's NPDS Specialists and Operations Manager Certification Seminar -- This seminar has been cancelled

Day I: 12:30-5:00 p.m./Day II: 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Succession Planning Seminar -- This seminar has been cancelled

Day I: 12:30-5:00 p.m./Day II: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Separate registration and fee required.)
Commissioners Fundamentals Seminar

Day I: 12:30-5:00 p.m./Day II: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Separate registration and fee required.)
Workshop for Executive Directors

General Information

Conference Registration Fee
The following fees apply to the conference registration fees only. Click here for seminar fees: Pre- and Post-Conference Seminars and Exams.

Conference Registration PLUS the Commissioners' Agency Operations Track Fee
(limited to 75 registrants)

Housing Information
At this time the NAHRO room blocks/discounted rates at the following hotels have been released.   A limited number of rooms may still be available but please note, room rate and availability are now at the hotel's discretion. 

Hilton Portland & Executive Tower
921 SW Sixth Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: 503-220-1611
800-445-8667
Website: http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/PDXPHHH-Hilton-Portland-Executive-Tower-Oregon/directions.do

The Heathman Hotel
1001 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97204
Location:        approximately 1 block from the Hilton
Phone:            800-551-0011
Website:         http://portland.heathmanhotel.com/

The Nines
525 SW Morrison
Portland, OR 97204
Location:        approximately 1.5 blocks from the Hilton
Phone:            877-229-9995      
Website:          http://www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1757

Hotel Changes/Cancellations
Name changes, arrival/departure changes, and/or cancellations at the Hilton Portland & Executive Towers may be submitted via the online system at http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/PDXPHHH-NAH-20090713/index.jhtml or by calling 1-800 HILTONS (1-800-445-8667) until June 15, 2009. Deposits will be refundable for cancellations received on or before June 15. Deposits will be forfeited for cancellations and/or confirmed hotel assignment changes made after June 15. Please note changes to your confirmed hotel assignment made prior to June 15 will incur no penalty. Changes to your confirmed hotel assignment made after June 15 will result in a forfeit of your hotel deposit.

Please contact the Heathman Hotel or The Nines directly if you need to change or cancel your registration at those hotels. Cancellation policies are at the discretion of the Heathman and the Nines hotels.

Hotel Acknowledgment/Confirmations
You will receive an automated acknowledgment of your hotel reservation upon completion of your reservation.

Travel Information
Please check with your local travel agent, airline, or online reservation service to make your airline arrangements. Portland, OR is serviced by 18 international and domestic commercial airlines over 300 arrivals and departures daily. Portland International Airport (PDX) is located nine miles from the downtown area.

Motorized Scooters
NAHRO has arranged for scooter rentals through ScootAround, Inc. To reserve your equipment please call toll-free 1-888-441-7575 or visit http://www.scootaround.com/rentals/n/nahro/. ScootAround accepts Visa and MasterCard for all rentals.

What's New in Portland?
Want to learn more about what Portland has to offer? Visit the Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau at http://www.travelportland.com/.