2026 Suburban Housing Conference
April 23, 2026, Westfield
HAND’s 2026 Suburban Housing Conference is set for 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, at the IMMI Conference Center in Westfield.
About
The 2026 Suburban Housing Conference, presented by the Hamilton County Community Foundation, is a half-day, interactive experience focused on moving housing systems from planning to real-world impact.
This year’s theme, From Plans to Places: Turning Housing Systems into Real Homes, centers on how communities can navigate complex housing systems and turn good ideas into practical, lasting solutions.
Bringing together local governments, employers, nonprofits, lenders, faith organizations, and community leaders, the conference will explore how policy, land, financing, and resident stability intersect to shape housing outcomes across Hamilton, Boone, and Tipton counties.
New this year, participants will engage in a hands-on activity and guided working session, exploring real-world tradeoffs and identifying actionable next steps.
Join us for a morning of shared learning, honest conversation, and collaborative problem-solving focused on strengthening our region’s housing future. The day is structured to move from understanding the system to experiencing it, discussing it, and identifying where action can happen locally.
Why Attend?
Experience the System, Not Just Talk About It
Participate in an interactive activity that brings real housing tradeoffs to life.
Understand What’s Driving the Challenge
Gain a clearer view of how supply, demand, policy, and demographics are shaping housing across our region.
Hear What It Looks Like Locally
Learn from planners, developers, and local leaders about the realities and constraints they are navigating every day.
Connect Across Sectors
Engage with a diverse group of professionals working on housing from different perspectives.
Leave with a Next Step
Walk away with a clearer understanding of your role and one practical action you can take in your community.
What to Expect
This year’s conference is structured as a guided experience:
See It
Start with a shared understanding of what’s happening in today’s housing market and why it impacts communities across Hamilton, Boone, and Tipton counties.
Feel It
Participate in a hands-on activity led by the Urban Land Institute (ULI), where you’ll experience the real tradeoffs and decisions that shape housing outcomes.
Translate It
Hear from local leaders, planners, and developers as they share what these challenges look like in practice across our communities.
Fix It
Identify where you can play a role and walk away with practical next steps you can take within your work or community.
Sponsorship
Support the Conference
The Suburban Housing Conference brings together elected officials, employers, nonprofit leaders, and community partners to advance practical housing solutions across Central Indiana.
Sponsorship helps offset conference costs, support high-quality programming, and ensure broad participation.
Sponsors play a key role in strengthening regional collaboration and advancing long-term housing stability.
✔ Demonstrate community leadership
✔ Connect with regional decision-makers
✔ Support bipartisan, solutions-focused dialogue
✔ Invest in lasting impact
Complimentary Registration for Elected Officials
To encourage broad participation and informed decision-making, HAND offers complimentary registration for elected officials and key public leaders from Hamilton, Boone, and Tipton counties.
This ensures the people shaping local policy can participate in the conversation without cost barriers.
You may qualify if you are a:
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Mayor
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Council member
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County commissioner
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Township trustee
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Planning commissioner
What Past Attendees Are Saying
Meet the Speakers
Our speakers bring together perspectives from across the housing landscape, including local leaders, developers, planners, and regional experts. Each plays a role in shapinghow housing decisions are made and experienced in our communities.
As part of this year’s See It → Feel It → Translate It → Fix It arc, speakers will help connect the system to real-world experiences and highlight what it takes to move from ideas to action.
This is not a typical sit-and-listen conference. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of the challenges, the tradeoffs, and where you can play a role in moving solutions forward.
