CHRA National Congress on Housing and Homelessness - Canadian Housing & Renewal Association

CHRA's Congress on Housing and Homelessness is held each spring and gathers housing professionals from all over Canada and abroad for three exciting days of learning, networking, and celebrating the community housing and homelessness sector. Congress is an exceptional opportunity for housing professionals to meet and exchange knowledge with a growing Canadian body of practitioners, policy makers, front-line workers, government officials, and key stakeholders from the affordable housing and homelessness sectors. Each year we develop a unique program of workshops, plenary and learning sessions, mobile tours, and keynote sessions to meet the educational needs and interests of CHRA members and delegates from across the community housing and homelessness sector.

Save the date!

Our next Congress is scheduled to take place in Quebec City April 27-29, 2027 Registration is expected to open early in 2027. Until then, save the date in your calendars and keep an eye out for more details about Congress 2027 in our newsletter and social media.

Sponsors and Tradeshow

Enjoy one-on-one contact with hundreds of community housing sector leaders from across Canada and abroad, giving you a unique opportunity to promote your product, program, service and/or ideas.

Get facetime with hundreds of delegates from across Canada and abroad from a wide variety of fields, giving you a unique opportunity to promote your product, program, service and/or ideas. By becoming a sponsor for Congress, you get numerous networking opportunities and exposure to delegates through social media, the Congress program, website, and on-site coverage during the events.

Download the 2026 Congress sponsorship brochure.(opens in new tab)

Questions? Get in touch!

Lira Buschman
Director, Events and Partnerships
lira@chra-achru.ca

We're accepting session proposals for the 2027 Congress in Québec City!

We're pleased to open the call for proposals for the 2026 CHRA National Congress on Housing and Homelessness, scheduled to take place April 27–29, 2027, in Québec City! This event will bring together leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates from across the country to engage in critical discussions and share innovative solutions to address housing and homelessness.

General Call for Proposals

We invite proposals for presentations, panels, workshops, and other interactive sessions that address a broad range of topics related to housing and homelessness. We are particularly interested in innovative approaches, practical tools, and evidence-based practices that can help communities tackle complex challenges.

All submissions should demonstrate an ability to engage participants and provide clear, actionable insights. We encourage proposals that connect directly to participants' work, share practical lessons and real-world successes, and create opportunities for meaningful participation and exchange. Strong proposals will clearly identify what participants will learn or take away from the session and where appropriate, incorporate interactive discussion, community experience, case studies, practical tools, and/or opportunities for peer learning.

General Programming at Congress

In 2027, Congress will focus on curating content that is bilingual to reach a broader audience. We are specifically looking for proposals that address:

Scaling up community housing to 20%
Build Canada Homes (two years in, taking stock)
Intergovernmental coordination on housing and homelessness
Self-care and wellness for staff, residents, and the general public
Housing responses during community-level natural disasters such as wildfires and floods
Funding cuts and their impacts
Unique Housing solutions for marginalized communities
Provincial elections, changes in governments, and the impact on housing

CHRA encourages interactive sessions and presentations that are prepared to share lessons learned from mistakes and miscalculations.

Indigenous Housing Programming at Congress

Informed by feedback from 2026 Indigenous Innovation Forum participants, we particularly welcome Indigenous-led and Indigenous-focused proposals addressing:

Indigenous housing, homelessness, and long-term housing stability;
community-driven design, co-creation, and culturally appropriate approaches to housing;
partnerships and collaboration that respect and advance Indigenous leadership;
legal, governance, and policy issues affecting Indigenous housing;
practical approaches to program, project, and service delivery, including wraparound supports;
funding, financing, and government programs available to Indigenous housing providers;
development, rehabilitation, modernization, energy efficiency, and climate resilience; and
research, data, and evidence that can be translated into practical action.

Please submit your proposal by October 15, 2026.