Conference 2026

Housing Studies Association 
Annual Conference 2026

Housing Transformed: Climate, Health, and Technology in an Uncertain Future

Housing is at the heart of some of the most pressing challenges of our time. As we navigate an era of rapid change, climate transitions, public health crises, and the rise of AI and data-driven decision-making are reshaping housing policy, practice, and the lived experience of households. How can housing systems adapt and evolve to ensure resilience, sustainability, and justice in an uncertain future? 

The #HSA2026 Conference will bring together academics, policymakers, and practitioners from across disciplines to explore how housing is transforming – and how we should respond. This event is a unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research, challenge dominant narratives, and collaborate across sectors to shape the future of housing. 

We warmly welcome contributions from UK-based and international researchers (within and outside of academia, from all disciplinary backgrounds and at all stages of their careers), policymakers and practitioners, campaigners, activists, and communities and contributions that consider both single country and comparative cases.

At the Housing Studies Association, we are proud of our welcoming and friendly atmosphere, and we strongly encourage the submission of papers related to housing-related research, practice, and education, irrespective of their direct alignment with the conference theme, fostering a diverse and inclusive discourse on housing studies.

Our conference offers an opportunity to engage in broader discussions including (but not limited to):

• Housing and climate transitions, 
• The relationship between our housing and neighbourhoods and our physical and psychological health, 
• Housing finance and economics, 
• Intersectional inequalities in access to safe and secure housing, 
• The approaches to conceptualising ‘home’, 
• The management and governance of housing providers,
• Urban change and dynamics in housing systems,
• Fuel poverty,
• The design and quality of residential buildings,
• Harm and housing,
• Emergency services and our communities; risk, safety, prevention and response,
• Leadership, Management, Organisational Change and Culture,
• Housing, migration, and communities,
• Global and cross-sectional responses to housing crises,
• Housing activism and politics,
• Technology, AI, and Data in Housing,
• Political and economic uncertainty,
• Homelessness, housing and welfare policy, and, 
• Other topics relating to housing-related research, education, and practice.  

The Housing Studies Association 2026 Annual Conference will be returning as a hybrid conference, with face to face sessions in Sheffield between 20th and 22nd April, and online sessions between 1st and 5th June. We have listened to feedback over the past few years and we have evolved how we offer a hybrid experience. This ensures we actively provide a space for discussion and presentation from different groups but also reflects the voluntary nature of the Housing Studies Association and the organisation of the conference. 

Key dates

• Bursary applications open: 17th November 2025
• Paper submission deadline: 28th November 2025
• Notification of acceptance: 23rd January 2026

In-person: 20th to 22nd April 2026

Online: Throughout the conference period and there will be dedicated online sessions between the 1st and 5th June 2026

Location

Online and in-person at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Sheffield, UK 

Further information will be announced soon.  

Conference Team

This year's conference is being organised by:

• Dr Tom Simcock
• Dr Lynne McMordie
• Dr Mahmoud Alsaeed