Second Annual Regional Housing Symposium

Description

A short WCYB clip:

 https://wcyb.com/station/news-5-at-noon/interviews/uva-wise-regional-housing-symposium-coming-up-may-21

For Immediate Release: May 5, 2026 

Symposium Focuses on Local Action to Address Housing Shortage 

WISE, Va. -- Local engagement in solving the current housing crisis is the thrust of discussion for the second 

annual Regional Workforce Housing Symposium to be held Thursday, May 21 at UVA-Wise. 

Kristen Dahlman, deputy secretary of commerce and trade in the Spanberger administration, will open the 

symposium, which is sponsored by the Regional Workforce Housing Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and 

Southwest Virginia. 

The symposium begins at3 p.m. following the 11th annual SWVA Economic Forum, which will feature an address by Gov. Spanberger at the David J. Prior Convocation Center on the campus of UVA-Wise. 

Housing experts will discuss the development of blue prints for community-based housing development. 

According to Leton Harding, president of Powell Valley National Bank and lead organizer of the Alliance, the 

Symposium will showcase a variety of local housing efforts from across the region. 

"Solving this housing crisis will require a community-by-community approach that recognizes the many 

challenges and opportunities that are unique to different parts of our region," Harding said. 

Other presenters include Sean Gilbert, president of the National Association of Housing & Redevelopment 

Officials; Hamilton Lombard, estimates program manager at the Universityof Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service;Jordan A. Stidham, executive director of Open Door Community; Lydeana Martin, community and economic development director for Floyd County; and Mayana Rice, director of Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners. 

The Regional Workforce Housing Alliance began work two years ago to focus attention on the availability of 

workforce housing in Southwest Virginia and NortheastTennessee. During its first symposium, which was held in May 2025, housing experts discussed opportunities for housing development and how to bring key players into creating models for housing enhancement. 

Lisa Porter, executive director and chief executive officer of Beyond Housing, the redevelopment authority of Bristol, Va., represents the backbone organization supporting this work. She sees first-hand the opportunities, struggles and barriers, but she also sees a bright future through collaboration and innovation. 

"What we have found in Bristol, across the Little 10 housing authorities, and really the entire region is that we need every available option to provide housing for our community. This group identified the 'missing middle,' which primarily supports workforce housing as the critical lynchpi n between successful economic development and stagnation in our communities. 

Registration for the event is open. A networking reception will follow the event. For more information contact 

mmcgirr@beyondhsg.com. 

® 􀀁 Beyond Housing is an equal oppartlllity musing P"ovider