National Homelessness Conference – registrations open

Registrations are now open for the National Homelessness Conference 2022, jointly convened by AHURI and Homelessness Australia returning as a face-to-face event Canberra, as well as virtually for delegates unable to travel to the nation’s capital. 

The Conference will be held from Monday 8 to Wednesday 10 August at the National Convention Centre and will build on the important lessons learned from the 2018 conference in Melbourne and the 2022 virtual event. 

With Canberra as this year’s destination, we aim to engage with the nation’s political leaders, and will provide the setting for policy makers, practitioners, researchers and those with lived experience of homelessness from across Australia to learn, engage and network with each other.  After two tumultuous years as the country has faced the pandemic and a series of natural disasters – there are many repercussions for the homeless, or those at risk of homelessness across the country.

Some of the key topics to be examined during our plenary sessions over the three days include: 

• Reflections on the pandemic – examining the homelessness responses across Australia, including the perspectives of practitioners and those with lived experience
• Closing the gap – understanding the progress on improving access to secure and appropriate housing for Indigenous Australians
• Climate and natural disasters – against the backdrop of floods and bushfires, how are those at risk or experiencing homelessness affected in both our cities and regions. 
• A national response to homelessness – following the May federal election, what are the priorities of the incoming government and how the sector best engage.

As well, the conference concurrent sessions will allow for in-depth coverage of issues being faced by homelessness service providers including workforce capacity, supported living for those leaving institutions, implementation of Housing First, embedding lived experience voices in national strategies, child protection and many more. 

The first draft of the conference program will be released in the coming weeks and we look forward to announcing an exciting speaker line-up of local and international experts as they confirm their participation. 

We look forward to seeing you in Canberra, or online in August.