March 24, 2026 | Philadelphia, PA
From Urgency to Action
A Regional Summit on Older Adult Homelessness
About the summit.
This full-day, invitation-only event will bring together leaders from homelessness services, aging, and health care to address the urgent and growing crisis of older adult homelessness in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Together, key partners from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania will highlight innovative practices, build cross-sector relationships, and develop actionable strategies to improve housing and health outcomes for older adults experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Guided by experts with professional and lived experience, we will seek to answer questions such as:
What connections currently exist between these three systems, and what further connections can we create?
How should existing homeless services systems adapt to serve an aging population, across shelters and housing programs?
What new program models are needed to support a diverse population of older adults experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity?
We will address these questions and more, through panel discussions, networking sessions, and other interactive problem solving conversations.
This event is organized by Homebase, a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness. Homebase brings people together around a shared vision for ending homelessness, advancing transformative strategies to turn that vision into practical reality.
Schedule and agenda.
Tuesday March 24, 2026
8:30am - 5:00pm (programming begins at 9:00am)
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Please join us for breakfast and a welcome activity to kick off the summit.
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Welcome remarks will be given by Homebase Executive Director Nikka Rapkin.
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Homelessness and Aging: Centering the Experience of Frontline Workers and Advocates with Lived Experience
This panel will center the voices of frontline workers and advocates with lived experience to explore the growing crisis of older adult homelessness. Panelists will examine the diverse pathways into homelessness for older adults, the resources needed for prevention and housing stability, and how systems can respond with dignity, equity, and meaningful inclusion of lived expertise.
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Older Adult Homelessness: A Cross-Sector Issue
This panel will highlight the role of the homelessness, aging, and health sectors in addressing older adult homelessness and opportunities for cross-sector collaboration. Leaders from a Maryland Continuum of Care, New Jersey Area Agency on Aging, and large New York City hospital system will talk about how the issue of older adult homelessness impacts their system, key innovations they are pursuing to improve outcomes for older adults, and opportunities to collaborate more deeply across these intertwined sectors.
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Please join us for lunch and networking with fellow attendees and presenters.
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Rethinking Shelter and Crisis Response for Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness
Shelter and crisis response models need to adapt to serve a changing population. In this panel, hear how existing models are evolving to serve an aging population at the point of crisis. These include street outreach and street medicine programs, as well as emergency shelters dedicated to the older adult population. -
Bridging the Gap: Adapting Supportive Housing and Nursing Care for Older Adults
In many communities, older adults’ physical, cognitive, behavioral and/or emotional needs exceed what is available in supportive housing, yet nursing homes are not typically accessible for this population. Hear from leaders who have designed a range of innovative approaches to help bridge this gap between supportive housing and nursing care.
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Homelessness Prevention: A Unique Spectrum of Interventions for Older Adults
This panel will highlight prevention as an integral part of the system that serves older adults experiencing homelessness. Panelists will provide perspective from various sectors, including a local homeless response system, legal aid, and aging services providers, and will seek to identify gaps in the system and potential resources to fill those gaps.
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Turning Insight Into Action on Older Adult Homelessness
To close the summit, national partners from the health, homelessness and aging sectors will come together with attendees to reflect on the day’s insights and chart a path forward. Leaders from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, USAging, Justice in Aging, the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, and Homebase will consider what today’s conversations reveal about the needs of older adults — and what coordinated actions are needed next. This session invites all participants to help identify practical, cross‑sector strategies that can strengthen care systems and accelerate progress throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
Location, lodging, and travel information.
The summit will take place at Convene Two Commerce Square at 2001 Market Street in Philadelphia, PA.
The venue is within easy walking / ride-share distance from Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station (Amtrak), and easily accessible by public transit. The venue also provides a list of local parking facilities, as well as hotel accommodations close by.
Discounted rates are available to summit attendees at the Motto by Hilton Rittenhouse Square. Please book by March 13, 2026 to secure a discounted rate.
A list of additional lodging options in the vicinity of the summit venue can be found here.
Frequently asked questions.
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This summit is by invitation only. In order to manage the size of the group, we would like to limit participation to one person per organization, with limited exceptions. If you’d like more information or if you’d like to recommend another person to our list, please email olderadults@homebaseccc.org
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No. This summit is free of charge.
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Breakfast and lunch will be served during the program. The venue is within easy walking/ride-share distance from Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station (Amtrak), and easily accessible by public transit. Parking options can be found here.
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Yes, we've booked a hotel block at the Motto by Hilton. Please use this link to book available rooms by March 2nd. A list of additional hotels in the proximity of the venue is available here.
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No, we will not have a virtual attendance option. We hope to see you in person!
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The summit is made possible with the generous support of The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and our contributing sponsors. We are still seeking event sponsorship and support for next steps coming out of the summit. If you're interested, please contact olderadults@homebaseccc.org.
Contributing sponsors and supporters.
From Urgency to Action: A Regional Summit on Older Adult Homelessness is made possible by the generous support of The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and our contributing sponsors.
Additional resources.
These resources from other organizations in the field may be helpful to your work to address older adult homelessness.
Homeless and Housing Resource Center (HHRC) Training Course - Supporting Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness [Learn more]
National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) Center for Learning Training Course - Caring for Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness [For service providers] [For system leaders]
Community Solutions Toolkit - Conducting a Needs and Assets Assessment for Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness [Learn more]
Housing and Services Resource Center - Cross Sector Partnerships Roadmap [Learn more]
University of California San Fransisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative Report - Toward Dignity: Understanding Older Adult Homelessness [Learn more]
USAging Key Concepts and Resource List - Doors to Housing for Older Adults [Learn more]
USAging - Housing Partnership Action Guide [Learn more]
Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) Guide - Meeting the Needs of Older Adults: A Practical Guide for Supportive Housing Providers [Learn more]
National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) Publication - Healing Hands: Supporting Older People with Experiences of Homelessness in the United States [Learn more]
Film - No Place to Grow Old [Learn more]
Questions or ideas?
Our team is happy to connect with you about the summit or other opportunities to work together to address homelessness in the older adult population.