Washington, D.C. -- Aida Alvarez, Administrator for the Small Business Administration will brief the Standing Committee of the Community Development and Housing of the U.S. Conference of Mayors on January 26 from 3:30 to 5:00 PM at the Capital Hilton Hotel.  The Committee is chaired by San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr.  HUD Deputy Secretary Saul N. Ramirez, Jr. and Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development Cardell Cooper will also brief the Standing Committee.  The session is one of numerous news events occurring during USCMs 68^th Winter meeting.

In addition, Dayton Mayor Michael R. Turner will brief the Mayors on the "Building Homes in America" initiative of USCM, the National Home Builders, and HUD.  The initiative's goal is to build one million homes over the next 10 years in inner cities.  Barry Zigas, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of the National Housing Improvement Division of Fannie Mae, and Craig Nickerson, Vice President of Community Development Lending of Freddie Mac will also brief the Committee on their respective organizations' housing goals for the next year.

Press is required to register for this event and others during the Conference's 68^th Winter Meeting.  Registrations will be accepted by telephone or on the Internet at the Conference's Winter Meeting Information Center, /68thWinterMeeting. The USCM press room on site will be the Pan American Room (Ph. 202-639-5422).  Press conferences will be held in the New York Room.

The U. S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more.  There are about 1,100 such cities in the country today.  Each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the Mayor.