NC VAMCs host first-ever statewide housing symposium
By Dennis Cohen Jr., Public Affairs Communication Project Manager
On May 20, 2026, Housing and Urban Development – VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) teams from four North Carolina VA Medical Centers launched the first-ever statewide housing symposium to recruit community housing partners for Veterans.
More than 250 participants attended the virtual symposium, the majority of them property owners from across North Carolina. The event resulted in more than 50 new housing providers recruited to work with VA housing programs — a direct expansion of housing options available to Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Building the housing partner pipeline
In the months leading up to the event, teams compiled more than 1,000 property owner contacts statewide. The symposium itself offered community housing partners a clear picture of how HUD-VASH and SSVF partnerships work — including financial incentives, assistance with security deposits, and the support structures VA provides. A live Q&A with an active Durham property owner brought those benefits to life with a real-world perspective.
Presenters covered topics including HUD-VASH program operations and common questions from housing providers, Project-Based Vouchers and the Eastway Crossings Senior Apartments model in Charlotte, Shared Housing and Geriatric and Extended Care Community options, and SSVF supportive services through Veterans Services of the Carolinas.
A model for regional collaboration
Beyond recruitment, the symposium created a platform for the four VAMCs to align their approaches to housing outreach across North Carolina. Staff from Fayetteville, Durham, Salisbury, and Asheville were able to learn from one another and coordinate strategy in ways that routine operations don't always allow.
Since the event, all four VAMCs have reported strong follow-up engagement with newly recruited housing providers, with outreach actively underway.
The symposium was organized and executed by a cross-facility team including event host Melissa Davis, opening remarks by Meredith Malpass, closing remarks by Emay Wessner, and behind-the-scenes coordination by Jocelyn Keyes and Chelsea Harvey, among others. Speakers included staff from VA and community partner organizations.
This inaugural symposium sets a precedent for statewide collaboration across VISN 6. With 50+ new housing providers now engaged and outreach actively underway, the four North Carolina VAMCs have taken a meaningful step toward expanding safe, stable housing for Veterans across the region. For more information on VA homeless programs, visit VA Homeless Veterans.