National Youth Homelessness Conference - Agenda

See the agenda and line-up of speakers for this year's National Youth Homelessness Conference 2026.

Morning

TimeTopicLocation
09.30Refreshments and Registration 
10.00Opening plenary with Umar, Lived Experience Advisory Board Member 
10.10Setting the Context: Seyi Obakin, CEO, Centrepoint 
10.20Rightsized Homes: Creating Safe and Dignified Stepping Stone Accommodation 
10.50Breakout options:
 
 
Scaling Independence: From 300 to 30,000 Homes - How Stepping Stone Homes can Address the Affordable Housing Crisis for Young People (Centrepoint)Director's Lounge
Housing First for Youth Principles in Practice: International Insights on Routes out through Housing Solutions and Community Connections (FEANTSA/ Housing First Europe and Centrepoint)Ricoh Business Lounge South
Building Homes: How Modular Solutions are Transforming Housing (CHESS Homeless and Portakabin Limited)The Coventry Lounge
Unlocking Opportunities: How to Influence Employers to Recruit Marginalised Young People (Movement to Work, Only a Pavement Away, Lived Experience Expert and employer partner)Ricoh Business Lounge North
Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Young People out of Homelessness and into Secure, Thriving Homes - while Navigating the Implications of the Supreme Court Ruling (akt and Stonewall Housing)The Boardroom
12.00Plenary address from Anna Cuskin, Senior Manager – Social impact, Coventry Building Society 
12.10In conversation with Poppy Noor, Deputy Opinion Editor at The Guardian. Hosted by Liz Laurence, Strategic Initiatives Director, Homewards 

Networking Lunch

12.40 - 13.30

Group 1 - Dhillon's Lounge
Group 2 - Director's Lounge
Group 3 - The Coventry Lounge

Afternoon

TimeTopicLocation 
13.30Homes for the Future: Funding and Planning Panel featuring: Alicia Walker, Assistant Director of Activism and Advocacy, Shelter (Chair), John Raynham, Independent Living Development Lead, Centrepoint, Simon Fowler, Director, Planning, Iceni, James Muller, Managing Director, Safe Haven London, Paul Morrish, CEO, LandAid, Sam Dumitriu, Head of Policy, Britain Remade  
14.30Breakout options:  
From Pilots to Practice: Practical AI Lessons for the Sector (Good Innovation)Ricoh Business Lounge North 
Unlocking Homes: How Rent Deposit Schemes Open Doors for Young People (Centrepoint and BEAM)The Boardroom 
Building Futures: Tenancy Sustainment and the Journey to Independence (London Borough of Croydon Children, Families and Education Department, Settle and Centrepoint)The Coventry Lounge 
Live, Work and Move Forward: How to Provide Affordable Move On Accommodation for Working Young People (YMCA Milton Keynes and St Basils)Director's Lounge 
Mini Hackathon: Reimagining How Young People Find Work (Centrepoint and PeoplePlus)Ricoh Business Lounge South 
15.40Lived Experience Experts Panel Discussion featuring Adam, Andrew, Faye, John and Umar  
16.20Closing Speech  
16.30Close  

Please note the agenda is subject to change.

Learn more about our speakers