Housing Hawaii will focus its annual conference next week on clearing hurdles to construction of affordable housing.

The conference for developers, nonprofits and government officials is set for Oct. 17, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Coral Ballroom.

Speakers include A. Bryant Applegate, senior counsel with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Linda Couch, deputy director of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson will be unable to appear as scheduled.

For more information on the conference, go to www.housinghawaii.org.