HYP Affordable Housing Action Summit
Habitat Young Professionals invites you to join the Affordable Housing Action Summit on October 3rd at Georgetown University. In Habitat’s mission to ensure affordable housing, advocacy is a central component that leads to lasting change. Led by Habitat DC-NOVA’s Young Professionals group, supported and guided by Habitat DC-NOVA staff members, this inaugural Affordable Housing Action Summit will engage, empower and activate young professionals and students into affordable housing advocates and community leaders by increasing awareness, education and training during a mini-conference event on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 10am-3pm at Georgetown University. It will also present many networking opportunities for younger professionals to connect with housing field experts!
Thank you to our sponsor!
October 3, 2026 | 10:00am – 3:00pm
9:45 – 10:00 | Light, continental breakfast
10:00 – 10:15 | Opening remarks
10:15 – 11:00 | Session 1: Laying the Foundation of Habitat history and housing in the U.S.
11:00 – 11:30 | Networking Break
11:30 – 12:15 | Session 2: Policy Deep Dive: Missing Middle Zoning
12:15 – 12:45 | Networking & Lunch Service
12:45 – 1:30 | Lunch & Learn ~ Session 3: Financing Affordable Housing Projects
1:30 – 2:00 | Networking Break
2:00 – 2:45 | Session 4: Strategies for storytelling: How you can advocate
2:45 – 3:00 | Closing Remarks
3:00 – 4:00 | Optional Networking Happy Hour at The Tombs
Session 1: This interactive session will teleport attendees to big historical moments in housing, housing affordability and homeownership in the U.S., By educating them on this history, we will help people understand why there is a housing crisis today, the current landscape, Habitat’s role in addressing it, especially how our advocacy work came to be, and what they can do to help.
Session 2: This policy-focuses session will explain what “Missing Middle” housing is, why it is needed, why we advocate for it, and help people understand what is happening with Arlington’s Missing Middle/Expanded Housing Ordinance (EHO) case, as a local example in Habitat DC-NOVA’s service area.
Session 3: We are often asked how we make affordable housing projects happen and how they pencil out. This financing session will illustrate how affordable housing projects do and can get funded through various sources such as philanthropic or private funding by donors and government-sponsored financing, demonstrating models for homeownership and rental, and the value in public-private-nonprofit partnerships.
Session 4: This engaging session will demonstrate the importance of storytelling, for Habitat’s work and for advocacy, provide storytelling training, especially on how younger people and advocates can effectively share their housing story. Attendees will leave empowered to be an advocate and know how to join in our efforts.
For more information on Habitat Young Professionals visit Young Professionals | Habitat for Humanity D.C. & Northern Virginia and for more information on Habitat’s advocacy efforts visit Advocacy – updated | Habitat for Humanity D.C. & Northern Virginia.