Homelessness Is a Housing Problem: What Rapidly Growing Northwest Arkansas Must Do Now

Dr. Gregg Colburn, author of Homelessness Is a Housing Problem, will bring a research-driven perspective on the structural forces shaping affordability, stability, and opportunity in fast-growing regions. Fayetteville illustrates these dynamics vividly, with 4,000 new residents arriving each year, University of Arkansas enrollment surging toward 36,000, and more than a third of households already cost burdened. Despite rapid construction, the city fell 1,480 units short of demand between 2019 and 2022, underscoring the urgent need for strategies that match housing production to population growth.

This keynote is a call to action for community leaders, policymakers, and developers who want to ensure growth is both sustainable and inclusive. Attendees will gain clear insight into how local housing markets drive broader social outcomes, along with examples of policy and planning tools that can close the gap between demand and supply. By connecting Fayetteville’s current challenges to proven approaches from across the country, Dr. Colburn will chart a path forward that makes housing a foundation for equity, resilience, and prosperity.

Unable to attend the full Place Summit? You can still experience the keynote session for only $25. Register here.