Across the country, fast-growing communities are facing a common challenge – and a shared opportunity. As housing affordability becomes a defining issue for voters, families, and the future of local economies, the question isn’t whether to act, but how.
Join us for a high-impact convening of national housing experts, innovative developers, and city leaders who are breaking new ground. This event will spotlight the most promising market-based strategies and public-private partnerships working to expand housing supply and drive affordability from coast to coast.
What to expect:
- Fresh data and sharp analysis making the financial and economic case for unlocking supply
- Real-world solutions from developers creating new models for middle-class and workforce housing
- Local leadership in action, featuring mayors from Texas cities who are mobilizing the private sector and rewriting the playbook for housing growth
Whether you're shaping policy, building housing, or financing the future, this event will equip you with insights, connections, and strategies to meet the moment—and move markets.
This event is co-sponsored with the LBJ School of Public Affairs Urban Lab.
4:30 – 5:00pm | Welcome Reception + Opening Remarks
Enjoy light refreshments and connect with fellow attendees as we kick off the evening. Steven Pedigo will frame the urgency of the moment: why unlocking housing supply is a defining challenge for growing communities, and how public-and private-sector leaders can rise to meet it.
5:00 – 5:15pm | Keynote: What’s Holding Housing Back?
Attorney and national housing expert Jennifer Hernandez delivers a compelling case against the legal and regulatory barriers constraining housing supply. With sharp insight and a reformer’s edge, she’ll outline what needs to change and how markets can lead the way.
5:15 – 5:45pm | Mayors in Action: Leading the Local Housing Response
Two Texas mayors at the forefront of housing innovation share what it takes to drive local change. In a conversation moderated by Ryan Streeter, Mayors Mattie Parker (Fort Worth) and Kirk Watson (Austin) will discuss the tools—and trade-offs—of building for growth.
5:45 – 6:30pm | What the Data Tell Us: Housing Affordability by the Numbers
Joel Kotkin moderates a data-rich discussion featuring Wendell Cox, Lance Gilliam, and Cullum Clark. Together, they’ll unpack the structural forces behind rising housing costs and make the economic case for bold supply-side solutions.
6:30 – 7:15pm | Real-World Solutions: What Practitioners Are Doing Differently
From financing to land use, this panel highlights the innovators getting housing built. Moderated by Mike Toth, panelists Joel Farkas, La Lou Davies, Diane Bangle, and Dan French will showcase practical, scalable strategies reshaping the housing landscape.
7:15 – 7:30pm | What Comes Next: A Call to Action
Ryan Streeter will close the evening with reflections on the big ideas and strategies shared, offering a forward-looking charge for civic leaders, policymakers, and developers ready to turn momentum into action.
