LGBTQ+ Housing Policy Symposium 2026
June 11 - 12 in Washington, D.C.
Registration now open!
The 2026 LGBTQ+ Housing Policy Symposium may be the most important event the Alliance has ever hosted. Federal attacks on the LGBTQ+ community have escalated sharply. What began in statehouses across the country has moved directly to the federal government. As a result, new barriers now stand between LGBTQ+ Americans and the financial stability that homeownership provides.
Why the LGBTQ+ Housing Policy Symposium 2026 Matters More Than Ever
This is not business as usual. The current administration's actions carry wide-ranging repercussions for LGBTQ+ homebuyers, renters, and real estate professionals. Consequently, the Alliance is calling on every member to show up in Washington, D.C., in the halls of Congress, and in the rooms where policy decisions are made.
The Symposium brings together leaders from the LGBTQ+ community, corporate partners, Alliance members, and policy experts at the national, state, and local levels. Together, we will have a focused conversation about what positive actions can preserve fair and equal housing for all.
SESSIONS & SPEAKERS
The LGBTQ Data Problem: When Communities Become Invisible
The federal government has made sweeping changes to reduce the availability and quality of SOGI data across federal surveys and programs. These two respected LGBTQ experts explain why being seen and counted matters.
Speakers
Regulatory Rollback: The State of Fair Housing and How Industry Can Fill the Gaps
Drastic cuts and new procedures have limited enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. This conversation explores the changes and how the industry can fill the void.
Speakers
Housing Affordability at a Crossroads: What the Data Tells Us
Chief Economist Danielle Hale delivers a data-driven analysis of the housing affordability crisis — its structural causes, its human costs, and where the market goes from here.
Speakers
INDUSTRY: The Rules of Real Estate Are Changing in Real Time
Private listing networks are expanding. Major brokerages are merging. This candid cross-sector discussion explores the power dynamics and policy implications shaping the future of housing.
Speakers
Housing for All: A Legislative Recap with Shannon McGahn
Speakers
The Future of Homeownership for Gen Z (the LGBTQ Real Estate Report)
Speakers
Gen Z Unfiltered: What Tomorrow's Homebuyers Really Think About Wealth, Housing & Opportunity
Speakers
The Wealth Gap Begins Early: LGBTQ Youth, Discrimination and the Path to Homeownership
Speakers
First-Time Buyers Under Pressure: Navigating Lending, Assistance & Access in a Post-SPCP Market
Today's lending environment presents a complex landscape for first-time homebuyers. This panel explores structural forces reshaping access to homeownership and whether traditional tools like down payment assistance still move the needle.
Speakers
Pressure to Power: The Role of LGBTQ+ Real Estate Professionals in Today's Market
LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance leaders confront the realities of the day and define what comes next. This conversation challenges practitioners to step fully into their role as advocates, leaders and protectors of access to homeownership.
Speakers
YOUR VISIT TO CAPITOL HILL
The LGBTQ+ Housing Policy Symposium provides us all with the opportunity to lobby on behalf of the Alliance and the LGBTQ+ community. On June 11, attendees will walk the halls of Congress to speak with their elected representatives. You will share the human and economic impact of anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination. Moreover, you will carry powerful data: the LGBTQ+ population is growing, and millions of supportive parents, family members, friends, and colleagues are watching. Together, we are a constituency that cannot be ignored.
Our Policy Positions
Learn more about the Alliance's Policy Positions and priorities for this year's Symposium.
Stay With Us!
Room Block is limited, so reserve quickly to secure your spot at the Moxy Washington, DC Downtown. Use the provided room block link with your registration, or you can call the hotel directly to book your room and request the room block for the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance.
Moxy Washington, DC Downtown, located at 1011 K St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Full Agenda
Thursday, June 11
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Capital Hill Visits
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Welcome Reception: NAR Headquarters
500 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
Special Guest: To be announced
Friday, June 12
10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
2026 Policy Symposium
National Union Building
918 F St NW
Washington D.C., 20004
10:00 a.m. | Welcome & Introductions
Duration: 20 minutes
Speakers: Alex Cruz, Executive Director; Tommie Wehrle, National President
10:20 a.m. | Remarks
Duration: 15 minutes
Speakers: Jordan Dashow, Equality Caucus
Category: Policy
10:35 a.m. | The LGBTQ Data Problem: When Communities Become Invisible
Duration: 45 minutes
Speakers: Moderator: Richard Woods; Caroline Medina, Movement Advancement Project; Elana Redfield, Williams Institute
Category: Community
The federal government has made sweeping changes to reduce the availability and quality of Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity (SOGI) data across federal surveys, administrative systems and programs. The removal of SOGI data impacts federal policymaking, researchers, advocates and service providers that rely on this information to form policy and assess needs and programming. These two respected LGBTQ experts explain why being seen and counted matters.
11:20 a.m. | Regulatory Rollback: The State of Fair Housing and How Industry Can Fill the Gaps
Duration: 45 minutes
Speakers: Moderator: Tommie Wehrle; Palmer Heenan, former HUD attorney; Sasha Sandberg-Champion, National Fair Housing Alliance; Amanda Miller, eXp broker
Category: Regulatory
Drastic cuts and a series of new procedures have limited the enforcement of the Fair Housing Act and protections against discrimination claims. This conversation will explore the changes and how the industry can fill in the void in the meantime.
12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. | Housing Affordability at a Crossroads: What the Data Tells Us
Duration: Lunch/Keynote
Speakers: Chief Economist Danielle Hale, Realtor.com
Category: Business
Chief Economist Danielle Hale delivers a data-driven analysis of the housing affordability crisis, its structural causes, its human costs, and where the market goes from here. Drawing on the latest research and economic indicators, she unpacks how supply shortfalls, price appreciation, and interest rate dynamics interact, and shares the key signals to watch as conditions evolve.
1:15 p.m. | Break
Duration: 15 minutes
1:30 p.m. | INDUSTRY: The Rules of Real Estate Are Changing in Real Time
Duration: 45 minutes
Speakers: Moderator: Alex Cruz; Chris Lim; Kay Marshall; Ethan Weiland
Category: Business
Private listing networks are expanding. Major brokerages are merging and gaining scale. Inventory remains historically tight. Affordability continues to erode for first-time and underserved buyers. These trends are colliding all at once. This cross-sector discussion explores the emerging power dynamics and policy implications shaping the future of housing.
2:15 p.m. | Housing for All: A Legislative Recap with Shannon McGahn
Duration: 45 minutes
Speakers: Shannon McGahn & Guest
Category: Business/Policy
3:00 p.m. | The Future of Homeownership for Gen Z (The LGBTQ Real Estate Report)
Duration: 30 minutes
Speakers: David Siroty
Category: Community/Business
3:30 p.m. | Break
Duration: 15 minutes
3:45 p.m. | The Wealth Gap Begins Early: LGBTQ Youth, Discrimination and the Path to Homeownership
Duration: 30 minutes
Speakers: Patrick Cochran, PFLAG; Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen
Category: Community/Business
What happens in the earliest chapters of an LGBTQ person’s life shapes every financial chapter that follows. This panel explores how family rejection, social stigma, and housing instability create long-term ripple effects on wealth accumulation, financial stability, and access to homeownership.
4:15 p.m. | First-Time Buyers Under Pressure: Navigating Lending, Assistance & Access in a Post-SPCP Market
Duration: 45 minutes
Speakers: Moderator: Rodney Mason; Nikki Wright, U.S. Bank; Kay Marshall, Truist
Category: Business/Sponsors
This panel explores the structural forces reshaping access to homeownership, including elevated interest rates, limited housing supply, and stricter underwriting standards. Panelists examine whether traditional tools such as down payment assistance programs still move the needle.
5:00 p.m. | Pressure to Power: The Role of LGBTQ+ Real Estate Professionals in Today's Market
Duration: 45 minutes
Speakers: Tommie Wehrle, 2026 National President; Richard Woods, Vice President; Justin Ziegler, Immediate Past President; Moderator Alex Cruz
Category: Community/Business
LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance leaders confront the realities of the current market and define what comes next. This conversation challenges practitioners to step fully into their role as advocates, leaders, and protectors of access to homeownership.
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Capital Hill Visits
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Welcome Reception: NAR Headquarters
500 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
Special Guest: To be announced
2026 Policy Symposium
10:00 a.m. | Welcome & Introductions
Duration: 20 minutes
Speakers: Alex Cruz, Executive Director; Tommie Wehrle, National President
10:20 a.m. | Remarks
Duration: 15 minutes
Speakers: Jordan Dashow, Equality Caucus
Category: Policy
10:35 a.m. | The LGBTQ Data Problem: When Communities Become Invisible
Duration: 45 minutes
Speakers: Moderator: Richard Woods; Caroline Medina, Movement Advancement Project; Elana Redfield, Williams Institute
Category: Community
The federal government has made sweeping changes to reduce the availability and quality of Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity (SOGI) data across federal surveys, administrative systems and programs. The removal of SOGI data impacts federal policymaking, researchers, advocates and service providers that rely on this information to form policy and assess needs and programming. These two respected LGBTQ experts explain why being seen and counted matters.
11:20 a.m. | Regulatory Rollback: The State of Fair Housing and How Industry Can Fill the Gaps
Duration: 45 minutes
Speakers: Moderator: Tommie Wehrle; Palmer Heenan, former HUD attorney; Sasha Sandberg-Champion, National Fair Housing Alliance; Amanda Miller, eXp broker
Category: Regulatory
Drastic cuts and a series of new procedures have limited the enforcement of the Fair Housing Act and protections against discrimination claims. This conversation will explore the changes and how the industry can fill in the void in the meantime.
12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. | Housing Affordability at a Crossroads: What the Data Tells Us
Duration: Lunch/Keynote
Speakers: Chief Economist Danielle Hale, Realtor.com
Category: Business
Chief Economist Danielle Hale delivers a data-driven analysis of the housing affordability crisis, its structural causes, its human costs, and where the market goes from here. Drawing on the latest research and economic indicators, she unpacks how supply shortfalls, price appreciation, and interest rate dynamics interact, and shares the key signals to watch as conditions evolve.
1:15 p.m. | Break
Duration: 15 minutes
1:30 p.m. | INDUSTRY: The Rules of Real Estate Are Changing in Real Time
Duration: 45 minutes
Speakers: Moderator: Alex Cruz; Chris Lim; Kay Marshall; Ethan Weiland
Category: Business
Private listing networks are expanding. Major brokerages are merging and gaining scale. Inventory remains historically tight. Affordability continues to erode for first-time and underserved buyers. These trends are colliding all at once. This cross-sector discussion explores the emerging power dynamics and policy implications shaping the future of housing.
2:15 p.m. | Housing for All: A Legislative Recap with Shannon McGahn
Duration: 45 minutes
Speakers: Shannon McGahn & Guest
Category: Business/Policy
3:00 p.m. | The Future of Homeownership for Gen Z (The LGBTQ Real Estate Report)
Duration: 30 minutes
Speakers: David Siroty
Category: Community/Business
3:30 p.m. | Break
Duration: 15 minutes
3:45 p.m. | The Wealth Gap Begins Early: LGBTQ Youth, Discrimination and the Path to Homeownership
Duration: 30 minutes
Speakers: Patrick Cochran, PFLAG; Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen
Category: Community/Business
What happens in the earliest chapters of an LGBTQ person’s life shapes every financial chapter that follows. This panel explores how family rejection, social stigma, and housing instability create long-term ripple effects on wealth accumulation, financial stability, and access to homeownership.
4:15 p.m. | First-Time Buyers Under Pressure: Navigating Lending, Assistance & Access in a Post-SPCP Market
Duration: 45 minutes
Speakers: Moderator: Rodney Mason; Nikki Wright, U.S. Bank; Kay Marshall, Truist
Category: Business/Sponsors
This panel explores the structural forces reshaping access to homeownership, including elevated interest rates, limited housing supply, and stricter underwriting standards. Panelists examine whether traditional tools such as down payment assistance programs still move the needle.
5:00 p.m. | Pressure to Power: The Role of LGBTQ+ Real Estate Professionals in Today's Market
Duration: 45 minutes
Speakers: Tommie Wehrle, 2026 National President; Richard Woods, Vice President; Justin Ziegler, Immediate Past President; Moderator Alex Cruz
Category: Community/Business
LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance leaders confront the realities of the current market and define what comes next. This conversation challenges practitioners to step fully into their role as advocates, leaders, and protectors of access to homeownership.
