Statewide Housing Conference Keynote Speaker Announced!

Vermont Housing Finance Agency announces Shane Phillips as the 2026 Keynote Speaker for the Statewide Housing Conference being held November 18, 2026. 

Phillips, a researcher, writer, and consultant, has spent his career committed to improving public understanding of housing markets and policy. He manages the Randall Lewis Housing Initiative at the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies leading and conducting research on a wide range of housing topics including housing production policies, government revenue and financing reforms, and tenant protections. Additionally, he produces and hosts the UCLA Housing Voice Podcast, a biweekly show that translates policy-relevant research for a non-academic audience. 

A nationally sought after author with articles featured in the Atlantic and Los Angeles Times, his book, "The Affordable City: Strategies for Putting Housing Within Reach," focuses on the prioritization of supply, stability, and subsidy. In addition to delivering the keynote address, Phillips will participate in a morning panel discussion. 

The Vermont Statewide Housing Conference is the state’s largest affordable housing-focused event occurring every 2 years and drawing hundreds of housing professionals from across Vermont. Organized by Vermont Housing Finance Agency, with help from the multi-agency Steering Committee*, the conference offers exciting sessions and networking opportunities focused on today's most pressing housing issues in Vermont and beyond. 

Registration for the conference will begin in the fall - save the date (November 18^th). For more conference information and updates, visit the conference website at www.vhfa.org/conference. 

*Statewide Housing Conference Steering Committee Members include: Evernorth, Housing and Homelessness Alliance of Vermont, Land Access & Opportunities Board, Let's Build Homes, Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity, U.S. Dept. Housing &Urban Development, Vermont Association of Planning and Development Agencies, Vermont Association of Realtors, Vermont League of Cities and Towns, Vermont Builders and Remodelers Association, Vermont Council on Rural Development, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, Vermont State Housing Authority, Vermont Housing Managers Association, Vermont Human Rights Commission, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, and the Vermont Professionals of Color Network.