The Rural Housing Preservation Academy is a series of no-cost training and peer learning sessions designed to help rural housing providers acquire and/or preserve USDA Rural Development (RD), HUD and LIHTC financed housing in their respective communities. Training sessions are open to existing owners/operators interested in preserving their properties or parties interested in acquisition for the purpose of preservation of property affordability.
The Academy sessions will span from basic introduction and overview of RD, HUD and LIHTC programs to exploring financing options and new financing models. Enterprise will bring in experts and practitioners that have proven success in preserving units and are thinking outside the box when it comes to funding to help deliver the training sessions. All training sessions will be held virtually. Attendance to any of the academy sessions is available to any interested stakeholders.
Training sessions are open to all interested in preserving affordable housing in rural communities.
Participants may register for the full Academy series or choose to attend individual sessions based on their interests and availability. There is no requirement to attend all sessions to participate.
Register for all Academy sessions or for the sessions you are able to attend.
Session Calendar of 2026 Rural Rental Housing Preservation Academy:
March 25 | Session I: Introduction to the 515 Process and Application
This session will cover current housing stock across the country, and what it means to preserve the affordability of the housing stock at risk.
April 8 at 11:00am MT | Session 2: Strategies for Preservation
We will explore preservation through the lens of case studies throughout the region with rural developers who have facilitated the acquisition and rehabilitation of USDA 515 properties and utilized resources like Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) for rehab and redevelopment in rural communities.
April 22 at 11:00am MT | Session 3: Capital Needs Assessment and Environmental Reports
During this session, we will discuss what a capital needs assessment (CNA) is with a guest speaker from an experienced CNA provider. We will also touch on Section 504 requirements and environmental reports.
May 6 at 11:00am MT | Session 4: Development and Operating Budgets
This session will cover the hard-cost items in the development budget and what construction-related items RD requires in a 515 transfer application.
May 20 at 11:00am MT | Session 5: Property Stewardship: Residents Services and Asset Management
Learn about robust resident engagement strategies help property managers streamline their work and gain powerful buy-in. In this session we will learn about resident engagement strategies and share best practices.
Participants may register for the full Academy series or choose to attend individual sessions based on their interests and availability. There is no requirement to attend all sessions to participate.
Register for all Academy sessions or for the sessions you are able to attend.
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