2026 National Health Care for the Homeless Conference & Policy Symposium
The National Health Care for the Homeless Council hosted its annual conference this month in Orlando, Florida. This year's theme was “Rising Together: Community, Courage, and Care.”
Each year, the conference brings together practitioners, advocates, researchers and people with lived experience to reflect on and share insight into their work to end homelessness. Session topics included caring for older adults, innovation in substance use treatment, confronting stigma in health care and more.
Check out this recap of highlights and reflections.
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Keynote speakers Marisol Bello, executive director of the Housing Narrative Lab (left), and Florida state Representative Anna Eskamani (right). Bello recently toured our agency and spoke about what she learned from her conversations with Director of Community Relations and Engagement Malcolm Williams, Director of Outreach Services Jimmy Miller and Chief Behavioral Health Officer Lawanda Williams. | ||
See pictures from the 2026 Conference
Staff presentations:
- President and CEO Kevin Lindamood and National HCH Sr. Director of Policy Barbara DiPietro
- National HCH Sr. Director of Policy Barbara DePietro
- Chief Behavioral Health Officer Lawanda Williams and Chief Administrative and Quality Officer Tolu Thomas
- Chief Administrative and Quality Officer Tolu Thomas
"It was a great time to network and be around like-minded individuals who share the same vision and mission— that everyone has access to housing as an inherent right!
I loved the representation that Marisol Bello showed Baltimore in her keynote speech and left with the reminder that 'the ending isn't fixed.' Two other key themes I took away: remember to show mercy, and when juggling different balls, recognize which is a plastic ball versus a glass ball. It's okay to drop the plastic balls because they bounce back."
–Chief Administrative and Quality Officer Tolu Thomas
Panel participation:
- Kevin participated in a panel for a workshop titled, "Medicaid Cuts and State Choices: Projecting Access to Care through Advocacy."
- Kevin, Lawanda and Barbara were among the facilitators of a session titled, "Balancing Risk and Values: Leading through Difficult Times."
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National HCH Sr. Director of Policy Barbara DePietro presents on federal policy decisions that are impacting the HCH community—and leading to even more changes at the state level. |
"This is always the highlight of my year in terms of conferences. One of the things that makes it so meaningful to me is that it is a rare opportunity where I get to be around folks where I don't have to overly explain what I do and why I do it the way I do it. I find it a refreshing and restorative time. I'm grateful to be in a space that I have a little bit to contribute and a lot to learn.
Some things I heard people say that left an impact on me:
–'The art of practicing mercy.' The context was people showing up in ways that are counter to how we may want them to show up and combating this idea of people being worthy or deserving of certain things. So what? Just practice mercy.
–'Reject a culture of no, but adopt one of how.' That resonated with me. We are hearing a lot of nos in this time, how can we start with how or maybe?
–'Those who stand around and wring their hands can't roll up their sleeves.' I call it problem identification (not complaining), but people are really good at identifying the problems. It's a charge to me to think about how I can be just as good at rolling up my sleeves as a practice."
–Chief Behavioral Health Officer Lawanda Williams
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Chief Administrative and Quality Officer Tolu Thomas, National HCH Sr. Director of Policy Barbara DiPietro, Chief Behavioral Officer Lawanda Williams and President & CEO Kevin Lindamood at the 2026 NHCHC Conference. |
" 'The ending isn’t fixed. Do something about it. Keep standing. And know you’re not standing alone.'
Florida State Representative Anna Eskamani delivered a powerful keynote. We all needed to hear those words. We all deserve access to comprehensive health care and affordable housing. And [this week,] nearly 1,000 people from all over the country return to the work at health clinics, medical respite care sites, supportive housing developments, state legislatures, research organizations, street medicine programs and more…
The HCH movement continues. The ending is not fixed."
–President and CEO Kevin Lindamood
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