2026
Homeless Care and Solutions NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
August 7, 2026
Location: California State University, Dominguez Hills Carson | 1000 E Victoria St Carson, CA 90747
About The Event
Join us for a premier interdisciplinary symposium uniting clinicians, nurses, social workers, CNAs, case managers, administrators, reentry professionals, justice-involved service providers, and community-based partners to advance solutions in homelessness, housing stability, reentry support, and whole-person care, with CE credits available through ANCC, ASWB, and IACET.
AGENDA
*Subject to change
Friday • August 7th
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Location: CSU Dominguez Hills - Loker Student Union - Level II: Dominguez Ballroom Foyer
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Location: Loker Student Union: LSU Dominguez Ballroom
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Location: Loker Student Union: LSU Dominguez Ballroom
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Administrative Track
Program Development, Compliance & Funding - Location: LSU Meeting Room 324Clinical Track
Trauma-Informed Care, Mental Health & De-escalation - Location: LSU Meeting Room 325CNA / Direct Care Track
Frontline Care: Safety, Support & Patient Interaction - Location: LSU Meeting Room 326Special Session
CPR Training (Limited Capacity) - Location: LSU Alumni Association CR 322 -
CSU Dominguez Hills - Loker Student Union - Level II: Dominguez Ballroom Foyer
*Lunch Included
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Clinical Track (Elder Care Focus)
Alzheimer’s, Dementia & Aging Populations - Location: LSU Meeting Room 324Innovation Track
AI in Homeless Services + HOPE System Overview - Location: LSU Meeting Room 325Wraparound Services Track
Outreach, Engagement & Care Navigation - Location: LSU Meeting Room 326Special Topic Track
LGBTQ+ & Gender Identity in Homeless Care - Location: LSU Meeting Room 327 -
Administrative Track
Operations, Data & System Coordination - Location: LSU Meeting Room 324CNA / Direct Care Track
Infection Control, Hygiene & Basic Clinical Care in Field Settings - Location: LSU Meeting Room 325Scenario-Based Training
De-escalation & Crisis Response – Live Case Studies - Location: LSU Alumni Association CR 322Workforce Development Panel
Building Internal Work Source Programs - Location:Location: LSU Meeting Room 326 & 327 -
Location: Loker Student Union: LSU Dominguez Ballroom
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CSU Dominguez Hills - Loker Student Union - Level II: Dominguez Ballroom Foyer
*Exclusive access included with premium registration tiers
Training ProgramsBegin your work today.
What’s Included
Access to all symposium sessions
Full-day program participation
Evidence-based sessions and breakout tracks
Clinical, administrative, and wraparound service training
Opportunities to connect with professionals across healthcare, housing, and community systems
What’s Included
Access to all symposium sessions
Continuing Education (CE) Certification (ANCC, ASWB, IACET )
Networking Lunch
Networking Reception
Evidence-based sessions and breakout tracks
Clinical, administrative, and wraparound service training
Opportunities to connect with professionals across healthcare, housing, and community systems
What’s Included
Access to all symposium sessions
Networking Lunch
Networking Reception
Evidence-based sessions and breakout tracks
Clinical, administrative, and wraparound service training
Opportunities to connect with professionals across healthcare, housing, and community systems
Homelessness beyond just the lack of housing
Key Trends & Data (Early 2026):
Scale: Over half a million people are officially recognized as experiencing homelessness on any given night.
"Shadow" Population: An estimated 4 million-plus people live in a "spectrum of insecurity," including cars, motels, or doubled-up with others, often not counted in official data.
Demographics: While 66.7% are single individuals, families are increasingly impacted, and homelessness among women has increased by over 12% since 2022.
Regional Trends: High rates of homelessness persist in California, with significant increases in Colorado (+85%) and California (+59%) in recent years, though some states (e.g., Connecticut) have seen decreases.
Causes and Factors:
Housing Costs: The primary driver is the lack of affordable housing, with only 35 affordable rentals available for every 100 extremely low-income households.
Economic Factors: A "stagnant" economy at the lower end, rising child care costs, and the end of pandemic-era federal relief funds have worsened the situation.
Health Crisis: The rise of severe addiction, particularly fentanyl, is creating a growing crisis in urban encampments.
National Alliance to End Homelessness +3
Policy and Response:
LA Crisis: In Los Angeles, despite initiatives like Mayor Karen Bass's "Inside Safe," up to 40% of participants have returned to the street.
Federal Policy: Recent proposed federal budgets have suggested scaling back assistance, raising risks for people with disabilities and older adults in supportive housing.
National Alliance to End Homelessness +1
Impact on Individuals:
Health: People experiencing homelessness die nearly 30 years younger than the average American, with dangers worsened by extreme weather.
Hidden Population: Millions are classified as "working homeless," unable to afford traditional housing and forced to live in cars.
There are currently two major contributors to the housing and homelessness crises: a lack of low cost housing nationwide and the limited scale of housing assistance programs. Nationally, the cost of rental housing greatly exceeds wages earned by low-income renter households.
22%
According to HUD data for January 2024, approximately 771,000 Americans experienced homelessness, representing a rate of about 22.7 people for every 10,000 in the population, a 18% increase from 2023. This marks a record high since reporting began, with significant concentrations of unsheltered individuals, particularly in California.
2026 SPEAKERS
INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS
Katina Holliday
FNP, Founder & CEO of Holliday’s Helping Hands
Pastor Troy F. Vaughn
President & CEO of Christ-Centered Ministries
Jamil Hardwick
Founder of Renewed Homeless Kids Charity, Entertainment Executive, Producer and Entrepreneur
Deshonay Dozier
Assistant Professor of Cultural Studies, Claremont Graduate University
A leading visionary in California’s fight against the homeless crisis, founder and CEO of Holliday’s Helping Hands, Katina Holliday’s avant-garde approach to reducing homelessness has helped hundreds of families and individuals find traction in getting off the streets.
Starting in 2018 with one interim housing site and handful of staff, Katina knew from having seen the vicious cycle of homelessness up close that it would take more than a cot and a sandwich to make a sustainable difference. Determined to create a path toward permanent housing for HHH clients she developed a dynamic multilayered program that is growing exponentially throughout Los Angeles County, “building communities one family at a time,” she says.
Pastor Troy F. Vaughn is the President & CEO of Christ-Centered Ministries, and a nationally recognized leader in homelessness prevention, reentry support, and community transformation that he and his wife, Pastor Darlene Vaughn co-founded in 1999.
A survivor of 7 years of homelessness on Skid Row, Pastor Troy’s journey from brokenness to purpose fuels his mission to help others rebuild their lives.
He is also the CEO & Co-Founder of the Los Angeles Regional Reentry Partnership (LARRP), bringing together over 600 agencies to strengthen housing, employment and advocacy systems; influencing significant reform in public policy and service delivery. Pastor Troy also serves as the Senior Pastor of Restoration Family Worship Center in Inglewood, California.
Pastor Troy holds advanced degrees in law, business, policy, theology, and nonprofit leadership. He has been honored for his work at local, state, and national levels, and is a recipient of the US President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for volunteer service. His life stands as a testament to one truth: no story is beyond redemption.
Jamil Hardwick is an entertainment executive, producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist known for building impactful partnerships at the intersection of culture, storytelling, and social impact. His work spans entertainment, wellness, sustainable development, and community-focused initiatives rooted in resilience and renewal.
A graduate of Morehouse College and former student-athlete at University of Georgia, Jamil began his career managing talent including Michael B. Jordan and Omari Hardwick. He later founded a successful product placement agency connecting major brands with television, entertainment, and celebrity partnerships.
Today, Jamil serves as Head of Talent Relations and Brand Manager for Actively Black, leading culturally impactful collaborations with global brands, athletes, and entertainment icons.
He is also the Founder of Renewed Homeless Kids Charity, focused on supporting unhoused youth through outreach, empowerment, and community resources. As a speaker and leader, Jamil inspires audiences through conversations on purpose, resilience, leadership, and creating meaningful social impact.
Deshonay Dozier is an Assistant Professor of Cultural Studies at Claremont Graduate University whose work focuses on homelessness, urban inequality, abolition, and community-centered futures in Los Angeles. Dozier earned a PhD in Environmental Psychology from City University of New York and previously served as a professor at California State University, Long Beach and Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Scholar at University of California, Los Angeles.
Dozier’s research examines how unhoused and marginalized communities, particularly in Skid Row, challenge systems of displacement, criminalization, and inequity while envisioning more humane and restorative urban futures. Their work centers the voices and lived experiences of unhoused residents, exploring pathways toward collective care, housing justice, and community transformation.
Their forthcoming manuscript, Another City Is Possible: Skid Row and the Contested Development of Los Angeles, 1950–2020, highlights how unhoused communities have resisted cycles of containment and dispossession while advancing alternative visions for equity and social repair in Los Angeles.
Committed to movement-driven research and teaching, Dozier’s work bridges scholarship, advocacy, and public engagement, with courses and publications focused on homelessness, Black geographies, abolition, urban justice, and transformative community futures.
Our Impact
This symposium is designed to strengthen the healthcare and community workforce, improve coordination across systems, and support long-term, sustainable solutions to homelessness and reentry support.
