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2026 Affordable Housing Conference

Housing, History & the American Promise

July 6–8, 2026  •  Virginia Union University (VUU)

Center for Living & Learning

1500 N. Lombardy Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220

Conference Overview

This three-day conference convenes scholars, practitioners, policymakers, residents, and advocates to examine the past, present, and future of affordable housing for African Americans. Set in Richmond, Virginia—a city whose built landscape embodies both the wounds of slavery and the resilience of Black community-building—our sessions center on public housing innovation, homeownership pathways, intergenerational wealth creation, and what the 250th anniversary of the American founding promises all citizens. The conference closes with a guided walk along Richmond's Slave Trail, connecting the nation's unfinished housing justice agenda to its deepest historical roots.

DRAFT AGENDA — Speaker confirmations pending. All times are Eastern. Session titles and panelists subject to revision.

DAY ONE — Monday, July 6, 2026 | Opening Day

Morning — Arrival & Opening Ceremonies

8:00 – 9:00 AM Registration & Continental Breakfast
Location: Lobby & Foyer, Center for Living & Learning
Conference materials, name badges, and program packets distributed
Exhibitor tables open — housing organizations, community partners, sponsors
9:00 – 9:20 AM Call to Order & Invocation
NOAAH Conference Chair opens proceedings
Invocation by local faith leader (TBD)
Presentation of Colors — VUU ROTC Color Guard
9:20 – 9:40 AM Welcome to Richmond
Speaker: Mayor of Richmond (invited) — or designee from the Mayor's Office
Remarks on Richmond's housing landscape, its African American communities, and the city's commitment to affordability and equity
9:40 – 10:00 AM Welcome from Virginia Union University
Speaker: President of Virginia Union University (invited)
Remarks on VUU’s historic mission, HBCU legacy, and the intersection of education, community development, and housing justice
10:00 – 10:20 AM Welcome from NOAAH National Leadership
Speaker: NOAAH National President / Executive Director
Conference vision, goals, and acknowledgment of sponsors and partners
10:20 – 10:35 AM Break / Move to Main Hall

Opening Keynote Address

10:35 – 11:30 AM NATIONAL KEYNOTE: “Housing as the Foundation of the American Promise”
Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Adrianne Todman (invited)
Former Acting Secretary & Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2021–2025)
Former CEO, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)
Former Executive Director, District of Columbia Housing Authority

Secretary Todman will address the federal housing agenda’s impact on African American families, public housing’s evolution, the racial wealth gap rooted in decades of housing discrimination, and what the nation’s 250th anniversary demands of its housing policy in the next generation.

Moderated Q&A follows keynote (15 minutes)

Late Morning — Richmond’s Housing History

11:45 AM – 12:30 PM Plenary Session I: “Richmond’s Housing Story: From Gilpin Court to the Present”
A historical examination of Richmond’s public housing development, urban renewal, and the displacement of Black communities through highway construction and “slum clearance.”

Featured Speaker: Ana Edwards, M.A.
— Public Historian, VCU Dept. of African American Studies; Founding Chair, Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project

Featured Speaker: Elvatrice Belsches
— Richmond Public Historian, Archival Researcher & Filmmaker; Contributor, African American National Biography (Oxford University Press)

Moderator: Dr. Ryan K. Smith, Ph.D.
— Professor of History, Virginia Commonwealth University; Author, Death and Rebirth in a Southern City: Richmond’s Historic Cemeteries

Topics:Gilpin Court origins, Jackson Ward destruction by I-95, Creighton & Hillside Courts, and the arc of public housing policy in Richmond from 1940 to today

12:30 – 2:00 PM  |  SPONSORED LUNCHEON — Monday

"Homeownership, Wealth & the Dream Deferred"

Presented by: [Conference Sponsor] — Sponsor TBD

Luncheon Speaker: Richmond-area community development leader or CDFI executive (TBD)

Luncheon remarks will explore practical pathways to African American homeownership, down-payment assistance innovations, and the role of HBCUs and CDFIs in closing the racial wealth gap.

Awards recognition: NOAAH Community Champion Award presented during lunch

Afternoon — Rethinking Public Housing

2:00 – 3:15 PM Breakout Sessions — Block A (Concurrent)

A1:“Re-imagining Public Housing: Mixed-Income, Community Land Trusts & Resident Ownership”
Presenter: Housing scholar / RRHA representative (TBD) — VUU Seminar Room A

A2:“The HOPE VI Legacy and What Comes Next: Lessons for Richmond’s East End”
Presenter: Community development researcher (TBD) — VUU Seminar Room B

A3:“Residents as Decision-Makers: Tenant Organizing and the Future of Public Housing Policy”
Presenter: Resident advocacy leader (TBD) — VUU Seminar Room C
3:15 – 3:30 PM Afternoon Break & Refreshments
Exhibitor Hall open
3:30 – 4:45 PM Plenary Session II: “Family Wealth Building Through Housing: Strategies for African American Households”
A solutions-oriented panel on intergenerational wealth building, down-payment equity programs, Black banking partnerships, and reversing the racial homeownership gap.

Panelist:Richmond-area CDFI or Black-owned bank representative (TBD)
Panelist: Virginia Housing (formerly VHDA) representative (invited)
Panelist:National NAACP Housing Policy Advisor (TBD)
Moderator: NOAAH Board Member
4:45 – 5:00 PM Day One Recap & Preview of Day Two
Conference Chair offers reflections and previews Tuesday’s sessions

6:30 – 8:30 PM  |  OPENING EVENING RECEPTION

Hosted by VUU and NOAAH — Wilder Building Grand Hall

Networking reception with Richmond's housing, civic, and community development leaders. Brief remarks by the Honorable L. Douglas Wilder, former Governor of Virginia and Richmond Mayor (invited, pending availability). Live jazz by VUU student ensemble.

DAY TWO — Tuesday, July 7, 2026 | Policy & Practice Day

Morning — The American Dream at 250

8:00 – 9:00 AM Continental Breakfast & Networking
Exhibitor Hall open | Resource tables from community organizations
9:00 – 9:10 AM Welcome Back & Morning Announcements
Conference Chair
9:10 – 10:30 AM Plenary Session III: “The 250th Year — What Does America’s Promise Mean for Black Families?”
In 2026, the United States marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence proclaimed that “all men are created equal.” This session interrogates that promise through the lens of housing: who has been included, who has been systematically excluded, and what genuine fulfillment of the American Dream demands for African Americans today.

Speaker:Elvatrice Belsches — Richmond Public Historian; researcher for Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln (2012)
Speaker:Dr. Ryan K. Smith, Ph.D. — VCU Department of History
Speaker:Ana Edwards, M.A. — VCU African American Studies; Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project
Moderator:NOAAH Senior Fellow (TBD)

Open Q&A (15 minutes)
10:30 – 10:45 AM Break

Mid-Morning — The Affordability Crisis

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM Plenary Session IV: “The New Unaffordability: Rent Burden, Displacement, and the Shrinking Middle in Black America”
A data-driven examination of how the post-2020 housing market has devastated African American renters and aspiring homeowners, with particular focus on Southern metros including Richmond, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Houston.

Presenter: Housing economist or Urban Institute/NLIHC researcher (TBD)
Presenter: Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority (RRHA) Executive Director (yet to be invited)
Panelist: Virginia Housing Alliance representative (invited)
Panelist: A current Richmond public housing resident advocate
Moderator: NOAAH Policy Director

12:30 – 1:30 PM  |  SPONSORED LUNCHEON — Tuesday

“Building Black Wealth: From Policy to Practice”

Presented by: [Conference Sponsor] — Sponsor TBD

Luncheon Keynote: National Black housing or real estate leader (TBD)

NOAAH Scholar Award and Housing Advocacy Award presented during lunch.

Early Afternoon — Fair Housing

1:30 – 2:30 PM PLENARY SESSION — FAIR HOUSING IN AMERICA: PROMISE, PROGRESS & PERSISTENT GAPS
One hour dedicated to the state of Fair Housing law and enforcement as it affects African American families — from the Fair Housing Act of 1968 to today’s most pressing battles.

Part I — Historical & Legal Framework (20 min)
  • The Fair Housing Act of 1968: What it promised and what it delivered
  • Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH): the rule, its rollbacks, and its revival
  • Disparate impact doctrine and its contested future before the courts
    • Presenter: Fair housing attorney or National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) representative (invited)


Part II — Richmond on the Ground: Local Fair Housing Realities (20 min)
  • Housing discrimination audit findings in the Richmond metro area
  • Source-of-income discrimination and voucher holders in the private market
  • Predatory lending, appraisal bias, and the racial valuation gap in Richmond neighborhoods
    • Presenter: Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) of Virginia — Richmond’s leading fair housing organization (invited)
    Presenter: Legal Aid Justice Center, Virginia (invited)


Part III — The 250th Anniversary & Fair Housing’s Unfinished Business (10 min)
  • What does genuine fair housing look like in an America celebrating 250 years?
  • Policy asks: AFFH rule, anti-source-of-income legislation, appraisal reform
    • Presenter: NOAAH Policy Director

    Open Q&A (10 min) — Moderated by NOAAH Board Member
2:30 – 2:45 PM Break & Transition to Breakout Rooms

Mid-Afternoon — New Thinking, New Tools

2:45 – 4:00 PM Breakout Sessions — Block B (Concurrent)

B1:Housing policy expert (TBD) — VUU Seminar Room A
Presenter: Housing scholar / RRHA representative (TBD) — VUU Seminar Room A

B2:“Black Developers Building Black Communities: Financing, Zoning & Opportunity Zones”
Presenter: Richmond-area minority developer (TBD) — VUU Seminar Room B

B3:“The Maggie L. Walker Model: Credit, Thrift & Community Wealth in Richmond’s History”
Presenter: Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site representative / VCU history faculty (TBD)
Location: VUU Seminar Room C
B4:“Technology, Data & Housing Equity: Using Analytics to Fight Displacement”
Presenter: University of Richmond Digital Scholarship Lab / VCU Center for Urban & Regional Analysis (TBD)
Location: VUU Computer Lab
4:00 – 4:10 PM Afternoon Break & Refreshments
4:10 – 5:10 PM Plenary Session V: “Public Housing’s Next Chapter: National Models Worth Replicating”
Panel examining forward-thinking public housing models from across the country: permanent supportive housing, community land trusts, resident equity programs, and green/sustainable redevelopment.

Panelist:National CLPHA (Council of Large Public Housing Authorities) representative (invited)
Panelist: Atlanta Housing or Louisville Metro Housing Authority representative (TBD)
Panelist:Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority Resident Advisory Board member
Moderator: NOAAH Board Member
5:10 – 5:50 PM Policy Action Workshop: “From Conference to Congress”
Structured working session for attendees to draft policy recommendations, advocacy letters, and action priorities to carry forward from the conference. Facilitated by NOAAH Policy Team
Outputs will be compiled into the NOAAH 2026 Richmond Policy Declaration
5:50 – 6:00 PM Day Two Wrap-Up & Saturday Preview
Conference Chair — Remarks on the significance of Saturday’s Slave Trail walk as a closing conference experience

6:00 – 9:00 PM  |  Tuesday EVENING — FREE TIME / OPTIONAL EVENTS

Optional:Self-guided evening in Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward — home of the “Black Wall Street of the South.” Dinner at locally-owned establishments (list provided in conference packet).

Optional:Evening visit to the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia, 122 W. Leigh St.

Optional:Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site self-guided tour materials available at the registration desk.

DAY THREE — Wednesday, July 8, 2026 | Closing Day — Memory, Meaning & Mission

Morning — Closing Sessions & Special Event

7:30 – 8:30 AM Continental Breakfast & Informal Networking
Final opportunity to visit exhibitor tables; conference materials and recordings information distributed
8:30 – 8:45 AM Saturday Welcome & Framing
Conference Chair: Connecting three days of housing dialogue to this morning’s lived-history experience
Brief remarks by NOAAH President
8:45 – 9:45 AM Morning Plenary VI: “From Slavery to Segregation to Subprime: The Unbroken Line of Housing Injustice”
A closing scholarly conversation tracing the continuum from the domestic slave trade through redlining, urban renewal, predatory lending, and present-day displacement — and what breaking that continuum requires.

Speaker:Ana Edwards, M.A. — VCU African American Studies; Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project
“Richmond sat at the epicenter of the domestic slave trade. Understanding that geography is essential to understanding where Black families live — and why — today.”

Speaker:Elvatrice Belsches — Richmond Public Historian; author of eight entries in the African American National Biography (Oxford University Press)
Open Discussion: Audience reflection on the three-day conversation
Moderator:NOAAH Senior Fellow

9:45 – 10:00 AM Conference Closing Ceremony & NOAAH Richmond Declaration
NOAAH President presents the Richmond Policy Declaration — compiled action priorities from three days of sessions
Acknowledgment of sponsors, speakers, and hosts
Presentation of closing gift to VUU
Invitation to assemble for the Slave Trail walk

Special Closing Event

10:15 AM – 1:00 PM  |  RICHMOND SLAVE TRAIL GUIDED WALK

"A Walk in Our Ancestors' Footsteps: Memory, Reconciliation & Resolve"

Departure Point: Charter buses depart VUU campus at 10:15 AM for Ancarrow's Landing (Manchester Docks)

Walk Guide: Ana Edwards, M.A. — Public Historian, Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project, VCU

Historical Commentary: Elvatrice Belsches — Richmond Public Historian & Filmmaker

The Route (approx. 2.5 miles, largely flat):

10:30 AM Manchester Docks / Ancarrow's Landing: The arrival point of enslaved Africans; opening reflection and historical framing
11:00 AM Canal Walk & 15th Street Corridor: The edge of Richmond's 19th-century slave-trading district; auction houses, "slave jails," and the mechanics of the domestic trade
11:20 AM Reconciliation Statue (15th & Main Streets): The triangular trade memorial — "You are standing in the geographical heart of the slave-trading district" — group reflection
11:40 AM Lumpkin's Jail / Devil's Half Acre: Site of Richmond's most notorious slave pen, held and sold thousands; later became the birthplace of the African American seminary that became Virginia Union University
12:05 PM Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground: First municipal cemetery for Richmond's Black community; burial place of those executed after Gabriel's Rebellion; site of ongoing reclamation work by the Sacred Ground Project
12:30 PM First African Baptist Church Site (Broad & College Streets): Founded 1841 by enslaved and free Black Richmonders; now a VCU building; closing remarks and moment of reflection

VUU Connection: The land that became Virginia Union University was purchased by the American Baptist Home Mission Society in 1867 — from Robert Lumpkin, the slave trader who operated Devil's Half Acre. The very ground of our host institution is a testament to transformation.

Buses return to VUU campus approximately 1:00 PM. Conference concludes at bus return.

CONFERENCE CONCLUDES — Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Safe travels. Carry the mission forward.

Featured Speaker Profiles (Draft)

The Honorable Adrianne Todman (Keynote, Day One)

Adrianne Todman served as Acting Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under President Biden (2021–2025)...

Ana Edwards, M.A. — Public Historian

Assistant Professor, VCU Department of African American Studies...

Elvatrice Belsches — Public Historian, Archival Researcher & Filmmaker

Richmond-based Elvatrice Belsches is the author of eight biographical entries...

Dr. Ryan K. Smith, Ph.D. — Professor of History, Virginia Commonwealth University

Dr. Smith joined VCU's Department of History in 2004...

Additional confirmed and invited speakers will be added to this program as confirmations are received. For sponsorship inquiries or speaker nominations, contact NOAAH Conference Planning at [contact information].

NOAAH 2026 Affordable Housing Conference  •  Richmond, Virginia  •  Virginia Union University

Draft prepared March 2026  •  All speakers and sessions subject to confirmation