Affordable housing is one of the Boston area's thorniest challenges, but there are answers. Hear more from our expert speakers at the Boston Affordable Housing event at The Ritz-Carlton Boston on Sept. 28.

“The climate for affordable housing development should continue to be animated, with small improvements as the states wrestle with more support," RED Capital managing director Paul Donahue, who will be a speaker at the event, tells us. He's shown with his son Chris, who recently graduated from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, Paul's alma mater.

On the whole, the frenetic state of market-rate housing is putting pressure on states to support affordable housing. "Robust market-rate housing on the coasts will push the states to increase support and inclusionary requirements to help lessen the shortages,” Paul says.

Berkadia senior director Gemma Geldmacher, who will also be a speaker, tells us her firm is "determined to help [increase affordable and workhouse housing], despite outlying factors like high construction costs."

"We see ourselves as experts in not just financing housing, but in lending our expertise to help refocus the conversation over the next couple of years," she says. "Berkadia and other lenders like us have an obligation to be part of that conversation that affects all of our communities."

Hear more at our Boston Affordable Housing event, beginning at 7:30am on Sept. 28 at The Ritz-Carlton Boston. Sign up here.