Housing Justice Network Conference

November 9-11, 2026 | Westin Peachtree Plaza | Atlanta, Georgia

In November 2026, 500+ legal aid attorneys, organizers, and advocates will gather at this year’s Housing Justice Network Conference (HJN 2026) to build the collective power we need to protect tenants and homeowners, save our homes, and make our housing system work for all of us. During the conference, we’ll build the capacity of the housing justice movement by:

Featuring plenary sessions by housing justice champions;
Training new advocates and seasoned veterans on hot topics;
Celebrating career achievement and excellence by presenting the David B. Bryson Memorial Award and the Bill Powers Housing Justice Award; and
Sharing legal, advocacy, and organizing strategies that keep people housed.

Update: Award nominations are now open! Every conference, we present the David B. Bryson Memorial Award and the Bill Powers Housing Justice Award to champions dedicated to advancing tenants’ rights and housing justice. See below for more information about the awards and how to nominate a housing champion. Nominations close on July 29, 2026.

Update: Scholarship applications are now open! If financial concerns would otherwise prevent you from attending the conference, apply for a scholarship by 5:00 pm PT on June 18, 2026. Scholarship recipients will qualify for free conference registration, as well as reimbursement for a portion of their travel expenses if applicable. See below for more information.

Update: Workshop proposals are closing soon! We’re now accepting proposals for workshops at HJN 2026. Share your knowledge and build connections by organizing a workshop! To submit a proposal, fill out the Workshop Proposal Form by May 15, 2026. Learn more about workshops and the workshop request for proposals below.

Important dates:

May 4: Scholarship applications open, with priority given to tenants and community organizers.
May 14: Award nominations open. Learn more about HJN awards below.
June 18: Scholarship applications close.
July 8: Early bird conference and New Advocate Training registration open.
July 29: Award nominations close.
October 21: HJN New Advocate Training – Part 1: Online Training. (Part 2 will be on site during the conference.) Registration will launch along with conference registration.
November 9 – 11: HJN 2026 Conference and HJN New Advocate Training – Part 2.

For the best hotel rates, please wait for us to open registration before booking your room. Until then, stay tuned for more news about activities, resources, and opportunities that will be available to you at this year’s conference.

Our inbox is open! If you have any questions about the conference, please reach out to 2026HJN@nhlp.org and a member of our planning committee will get back to you soon.

Why attend HJN 2026?

Communities thrive when we all have a safe and affordable place to call home in the community of our choice, no matter where we come from or how long we’ve lived here.

But right now, our homes are under attack. Trump is making the housing crisis even worse by taking away housing from poor and working people, letting corporations rig the rules in their favor, and making it easier for landlords to discriminate against immigrants and people of color.

We have work to do. And anything worth doing, is done in community. Join us at HJN 2026 as we come together to fight back and build a multiracial democracy, where we all have the freedom to make a good living, care for our families, and live in a safe and affordable home.

Check out some moments from our last gathering at HJN 2024 in Minneapolis.

Workshops

We’re now accepting proposals for workshops at our 2026 Housing Justice Network Conference. Share your knowledge and build connections by organizing a workshop!

To submit a proposal, review the workshop guidelines and submit your workshop proposal by May 15, 2026.

The planning committee will make its final selections and notify session coordinators by July 10, 2026. Late submissions will not be reviewed.

HJN 2026 will feature over 30 workshops led by Housing Justice Network members that cover legal, advocacy, and organizing strategies to keep poor and working people housed, including:

Defending the federal housing programs;
Partnering with and representing poor and working residents; and
Building the housing justice movement.

We encourage anyone interested in leading a workshop to submit a proposal, including new members of the Housing Justice Network.

If you are interested in proposing a workshop but have questions for the planning committee, please register here to join us for office hours on April 22, 2026 at 1pm ET/ 10am PT. We can answer your questions and share tips about what makes a successful workshop proposal.

For further questions, please reach out to 2026HJN@nhlp.org. A member of our planning committee will get back to you as soon as we can.

New Advocate Training

Our two-part New Advocate Training features an online portion ahead of the conference, eligible for California Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credits, as well as an in-person portion at the conference, which is not eligible for MCLE credits.

Sponsor HJN 2026

Be a housing champion! Sponsorship opportunities for HJN 2026 are now available for organizations interested in supporting scholarships for organizers, tenant leaders, and others who would not otherwise be able to afford the conference.

Find out how to become a sponsor here.

Housing Justice Network Awards

At HJN 2026 we’ll celebrate career achievement and excellence by presenting the David B. Bryson Memorial Award and the Bill Powers Housing Justice Award. Nominations for the awards will open May 14, 2026 and close July 29, 2026.

Please visit the HJN awards page to read more about the awards and past recipients.

The Bryson Memorial Award honors an individual who lives the principles exemplified by David B. Bryson, demonstrating long-term commitment to solving the housing problems of extremely low-income people, with unwavering support to colleagues in the legal services and housing advocacy communities.

Nominate someone for the Bryson Memorial Award by filling out this form before July 29.

The Bill Powers Housing Justice Award recognizes a new and impressive talent in the field of affordable housing and low-income housing rights. This award honors an unstoppable activist tackling systemic obstacles that stand in the way of safe, decent and affordable housing for low-income and marginalized people.

Nominate someone for the Bill Powers Housing Justice Award by filling out this form before July 29.

Scholarships

If financial concerns would otherwise prevent you from attending the conference, apply for a scholarship here by 5:00 pm PT on June 18, 2026. Scholarship recipients will qualify for free conference registration, as well as reimbursement for a portion of their travel expenses if applicable.

Priority consideration for scholarships will be given to affordable housing residents, housing organizers, and other non-lawyer advocates. Applicants will be informed of their acceptance via email by June 26, 2026.

Please note that scholarship recipients will need to complete their registration during the early bird conference and training registration period, which will open for all potential attendees in July. We’ll let you know as soon as early registration is live.