About The Conference

While the Inland Empire has experienced the strongest local job growth in Southern California since the Great Recession, expansion of the region’s housing stock has been woefully slow relative to past cycles.

Housing scarcity is a natural barrier to growth in any labor force and the Inland Empire’s lack of work force growth has led to the tightest labor market the region has ever experienced. Employers are already finding it difficult to fill positions—and that struggle will intensify unless there is a surge in new housing construction locally.

• Why hasn’t the Inland Empire’s housing stock kept up with demand?


• What does the shortage mean for local home prices, rents, and demographics given that employers across Southern California are competing for a limited supply of workers?

The 2019 Inland Empire Economic Forecast Conference, hosted by the UC Riverside School of Business, will feature some of the nation’s leading economists along with key business and government leaders from across the region. A roster of vibrant speakers will answer today’s most pressing questions about the IE's housing and economic future. We hope to see you in November!

Featured Speakers

CHRISTOPHER THORNBERG

Director
Center for Economic Forecasting & Development

U.S. & California Forecast

ROBERT KLEINHENZ

Executive Director of Research
Center for Economic Forecasting & Development
 

Inland Empire Forecast

The Case of the Missing Homes:
A Conversation Moderated by Christopher Thornberg

Prior to the Great Recession, 50,000 new housing units were being permitted annually in the Inland Empire. Today, the number of permits being filed is just over one-fourth that amount despite the availability of thousands of build-ready lots. With labor force growth at its weakest point in years and unemployment at a record low level, the issue of housing scarcity is taking on an economic dimension not seen before in the Inland Empire. How can local leaders change the situation before it becomes a crisis? Two of California’s leading experts on housing policy and community development and transformation join Christopher Thornberg for a revealing conversation about the IE’s housing scarcity challenge and ways to solve it.

Panelists

PAAVO MONKKONEN

Associate Professor, Urban Planning and Public Policy
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

STEVE PONTELL

President & CEO
National CORE

Event Emcee

EDWARD ORNELAS

Take Aways & Benefits

Economic Insights

The 2019 Inland Empire Economic Forecast Conference Book, complete with data and graphics illustrating where housing prices, employment, personal income, and other major economic indicators are heading

Regular Updates

Quarterly updates to the forecast by email

Networking Opportunities

The opportunity to network with hundreds of government and business leaders from across the region

Conference Location

Riverside Convention Center

3637 Fifth Street
Riverside, CA 92501

2019 Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Media Sponsors

Creative Partner

Become a Sponsor 2019

This year’s conference is expected to draw a dynamic group of over 500 regional leaders who will not only benefit from the timely and valuable information delivered at the event, but will have the opportunity to network with key decisionmakers from across the region and state. Sponsorship establishes your organization as a leader committed to the economic vitality and success of the Inland Empire, and to providing our community with quality insights at a time when reasoned, research-based information is more important than ever.

Contact Adrian Stevens or Kaitlyn Keating with questions