Events

On campus and online, we host dozens of events each year to examine important housing policy issues. In addition to seminars, lectures, and panel discussions here at Harvard, we convene conferences and symposia around the country, bringing together housing practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. Please sign up for our email list at the bottom of this page to hear about upcoming events, and visit YouTube to watch videos of past events.

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America's Rental Housing 2026
Mar 12
Cover of America's Rental Housing 2026 report.

America's Rental Housing 2026

Renter cost burdens have surged to yet another record high even as rents for new leases show modest declines, signaling intensifying affordability pressures across the rental market. Join us for the release of our America's Rental Housing 2026 report.
Thu, Mar 12, 2026
4:00 pm ET
Virtual
Urban Conversations: A City Is Sometimes a Tree
Mar 9
Graphic showing urban grid patterns of eight world cities.

Urban Conversations: A City Is Sometimes a Tree

Design theorist Christopher Alexander argued in 1965 that urban planners tend to design cities as efficient, hierarchical, tree-like structures, whereas successful traditional cities evolve naturally as messy, interconnected lattice structures. Geoff Boeing will reconsider this claim and, with Carole Voulgaris, will discuss how we can plan cities for more connected, sustainable futures.
Mon, Mar 9, 2026
12:00–1:00 pm ET
In Person
Did Mortgage Rate Locks Lead to Rising House Prices?
Mar 6
For sale sign in front of a home.

Did Mortgage Rate Locks Lead to Rising House Prices?

Meyer Fellow and PhD candidate Justin Katz will discuss research he did with Robert Minton exploring whether homeowners locked into below-market, fixed-rate mortgages chose not to move to avoid higher borrowing costs, and to what extent this may have contributed to the sharp rise in home prices.
Fri, Mar 6, 2026
12:15–1:15 pm ET
Virtual
The Past, Present, and Future of Public Housing: Dunlop Lecture with Kenzie Bok
Mar 5
Kenzie Bok and rendering of Faneuil Gardens housing complex.

The Past, Present, and Future of Public Housing: Dunlop Lecture with Kenzie Bok

In the 25th Annual John T. Dunlop Lecture, Kenzie Bok, Administrator and CEO of the Boston Housing Authority and former Boston City Councilor, will bring together her experiences as a pioneering public housing administrator and intellectual historian to explore the past, present, and future of public housing in the US.
Thu, Mar 5, 2026
6:30 pm ET
Hybrid
Using Design Competitions to Improve the Quality of Housing: A Roundtable Discussion
Feb 27
Group reviewing competition proposals in a modern space.

Using Design Competitions to Improve the Quality of Housing: A Roundtable Discussion

Susanne Schindler will discuss her recent working paper about how design competitions can address the shortcomings of housing development and design services procurement processes. A roundtable with Boston-area practitioners will follow.
Fri, Feb 27, 2026
12:00–1:30 pm ET
Virtual
Digital Gossip and Neighborhood Value: How AI Captures the Perceptions That Shape Neighborhood Premiums
Feb 26
Couple looking at real estate listings online.

Digital Gossip and Neighborhood Value: How AI Captures the Perceptions That Shape Neighborhood Premiums

Beyond property characteristics, a neighborhood's reputation—or the informal "gossip" and social narratives circulating online—shape its economic value. University of Pennsylvania associate professor Elizabeth Delmelle will discuss work-in-progress exploring whether AI systems can help us quantify these intangible "vibes.”
Thu, Feb 26, 2026
12:00–1:00 pm ET
In Person
Understanding the Rapid Rise in Rural Home Prices
Feb 20
Homes in a mountain town.

Understanding the Rapid Rise in Rural Home Prices

Home prices in rural areas rose at an unprecedented pace during the pandemic. Center researchers Alexander Hermann and Peyton Whitney will discuss their recent working paper which examines the types of communities where prices increased the most and the effects on long-time residents and seasonal workers with lower incomes.
Fri, Feb 20, 2026
12:30~1:30 pm ET
Virtual
Information Session on Fellowships and Research Grants
Feb 13
Students taking notes at a conference room table.

Information Session on Fellowships and Research Grants

Join us for an overview of fellowships and research grants for Harvard students, including several community service summer fellowships that support Graduate School of Design and Kennedy School students working at public and private entities in the US.
Fri, Feb 13, 2026
2:00 pm ET
In Person
Rising Insurance Costs + Limited Equity Cooperatives: Research from Our 2025 Gramlich Fellows
Feb 6
New construction multifamily housing.

Rising Insurance Costs + Limited Equity Cooperatives: Research from Our 2025 Gramlich Fellows

Ariella Amit will discuss how community-based organizations (CBOs) are responding to the rising cost of property insurance for multifamily housing, and Zack Lively will discuss how CBOs are developing limited equity cooperatives to preserve or create permanently affordable housing. 
Fri, Feb 6, 2026
12:15–1:30 pm ET
Virtual

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