Kick off your CHAM Conference experience with a curated day of learning and exploration in New Orleans. On Monday, June 9, join us for half-day mobile tours and training sessions that you can mix and match to create a personalized experience.

Our mobile tours will take you into New Orleans neighborhoods to explore innovative, resilient affordable housing strategies and comprehensive community development in action. You’ll see and hear how local leaders are combining housing, economic opportunity, and thoughtful design to strengthen their communities.

Back at the conference venue, dive into hands-on training sessions designed to build essential skills in areas shaping our work today: the strategic use of AI and the complex world of insurance. These timely topics are impacting asset management now, and this is your chance to gain practical knowledge and start applying these tools in your work. Whether you're looking to develop a strong foundation or take the next step in implementation, these sessions are designed to be accessible, relevant, and immediately useful.

Start your week with fresh ideas, new skills, and real-world inspiration, but don’t wait too long. Space is limited, so register early to reserve your spot!

Property and Liability Insurance: Take Control of Your Insurance Program
Monday, June 9, 9:00 am-12:00 pm

Navigating property and liability insurance can be complex, but with the right knowledge, you can take control of your insurance program. This interactive training, led by insurance professionals specializing in affordable housing, will equip you with the tools to assess, compare, and optimize your insurance strategy.

Through real-world examples and expert insights, you will gain:

• An overview of property and liability insurance coverage.
• An understanding of claim trends impacting multifamily affordable housing and how they influence pricing.
• Knowledge of current insurance market conditions and what they mean for your organization.
• Guidance on evaluating insurance brokers.

The core of this training is a proposal comparison exercise, where you’ll work with actual insurance proposals to break down coverage exclusions, deductibles, sublimits, and the total cost of risk. This hands-on approach ensures that by the end of the class, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to assess your insurance options, make informed decisions, and strengthen your organization’s risk management strategy.

Instructors: Brendan Dolan, Vice President, Housing Partnership Network; Tracy Pride, EVP, Director of Client Services, IMA

AI-Enabled Asset Management: A Hands-On Introduction to GPTs
Monday, June 9, 1:30-4:00 pm  

Unlock the power of Artificial Intelligence and learn to build your own AI tools to handle common asset management tasks, even without coding experience! This interactive training will provide a practical, hands-on introduction to generative AI (GenAI) and its application in affordable housing asset management. Participants will learn the fundamentals of effective prompting and collaborate in small teams to build simple and effective AI tools tailored to specific asset management needs.

Session Outline: 

• Prompt Engineering Primer: A brief educational session on the art of crafting effective prompts to guide AI models, including a take-away one-pager of best practices. 
• Brainstorming & Ideation: Participants will brainstorm real-world asset management challenges that can be addressed by AI agents, identifying potential use cases and functionalities. 
• Agent Development: Working in small teams, participants will use GenAI platforms to build and test their AI agents. Mentors will be available to provide guidance and support. 
• Agent Showcase & Awards: Teams will present their AI agents to the entire group, demonstrating their capabilities and impact. Bragging rights are on the line, as prizes will be awarded! Whether for innovation, execution, or just making everyone laugh, there’s a chance to claim the spotlight! 
• Sharing & Adaptation: The best AI agents will be shared with all participants for adaptation and implementation within their own organizations.

This training is designed for both newcomers and those with AI experience. 

Instructors: Anne Hollander, Principal, The Strategic Edge; Beth Baar, Vice President, Asset Management, Cinnaire 

Stories of Resilience
Monday, June 9, 9:00 am-12:00 pm 

Providence Community Housing was founded after Hurricane Katrina to create and preserve affordable housing in New Orleans, and this tour will share our stories of resilience and growth. We have developed more than 1,500 affordable rental units and over 100 homes for low- to moderate-income families. In 2025, Providence added a property management line of business by assuming management of six of our owned senior properties and 15 additional senior properties as a third-party manager, for a total of more than 2,500 units. 
 
Providence Community Housing has played every role there is to play in affordable rental housing! We they asset manage their own projects that are property managed by third parties, asset manage their own properties that are self-managed, and property manage projects for a third-party owner. As a result, they have a unique combination of experiences that allows them to tell the story of an asset from all sides. Over time, they’ve learned how to navigate the complicated landscape of partnerships among owners, asset managers, and property managers. 
 
We'll begin the tour in the historic Black neighborhood of Treme at St. Ann’s Square, which is self-owned and managed. We’ll follow with a drive past and discussion of St. Martin’s Manor, which we manage but do not own. Finally, we’ll end at Sacred Heart at St. Bernard, which we own in partnership with Columbia Residential and which is managed by Columbia. Along the way, we’ll share the unique lessons we’ve learned in working to preserve assets and provide quality affordable housing through all the different roles we play.

Tour Leader: Terri North, President & CEO, Providence Community Housing

Sustaining Communities in NOLA: Resilient Housing and Cultural Preservation
Monday, June 9, 1:30-4:00 pm 

We’ll head into New Orleans neighborhoods to explore newly completed rehabs and construction projects that showcase the latest in resilient design, including Fortified Gold roofing. Developers will share insights into their design choices, asset management strategies, and how these features enhance long-term sustainability. Discussions will also focus on preserving neighborhood identity, with a look at how cultural heritage is integrated into both design and management decisions. Tour stops include St. Bernard Circle, Grove Place, and a third location to be determined.  

Tour Leader: Matt Morrin, Senior Director, Gulf Coast, Enterprise Community Partners