Mark your calendars! The Built for Zero Annual Learning Session will take place in Seattle, WA, on October 20-22, 2026. This year, our theme is Call to Action. We are challenging ourselves — and you, our partners and allies — to plan for broader action to radically reduce unsheltered homelessness in our communities and nationally.
Come ready to meet the moment! Over 2.5 days, you will hear from leaders — visionary practitioners and new partners in the work — achieving powerful reductions in unsheltered homelessness and homelessness overall. And you will cultivate and sharpen skills in collecting and analyzing real-time data, maximizing your housing inventory, organizing your community and communicating your impact, and forming an effective ‘tiger team’ to support audacious, whole-community campaigns to turn the tide on homelessness.
Expect provocative and practical sessions to help you:
- Catalyze new ideas and put into practice ways of working that are proven to drive reductions in unsheltered homelessness.
- Seize immediate opportunities and create long-term strategies to blend housing, homelessness, employment, and health system resources to increase housing placements.
- Dive into field-tested communications and storytelling practices to build public and policymaker support for solutions to homelessness.
- Get a jump on AI — the early promise for advancing solutions to homelessness, the threats, and practices for being an informed consumer.
- Reinvigorate partnerships needed to achieve and sustain reductions with a summit featuring exchanges between leaders from the private sector, health and academic anchor institutions, municipal and state-level leadership, and community stakeholders.
What is different this year?
Broader teams: We are challenging each Built for Zero community to create a team of 4-6 multi-sectoral stakeholders to include representatives from local government, housing, business, health care, and community partner organizations.
Bigger policy moment: Be part of building future-forward local, state, and federal policy visions, coalitions, and action agendas.
What’s tried and true?
- Provocative plenaries — provocative and big picture insights
- Peer-led breakouts and lots of networking
- Opportunities to hear from leaders in our host community on bright spots and obstacles overcome
- Spotlight on the work of our local Seattle partners, the voices and expertise of persons who have experienced homelessness, and the impact of community social enterprises in all facets of the Learning Session
- Celebration, fun, and food
For more information:
Stay tuned for more information, including how to register, details on the venue and hotel, and speakers. Have questions? Contact us at: bfzlearningsessions@community.solutions
