Thanks for Joining Us for the 2026 Minnesota NAHRO Spring Conference
May 18โ20, 2026 | Sugar Lake Lodge, Cohasset, MN
Connect, learn, and grow with colleagues from across the state at the 2026 Minnesota NAHRO Spring Conference. This yearโs gathering brings together housing professionals for three days of practical training, timely policy updates, and meaningful peer exchange designed to strengthen agencies and the communities we serve.
Attendees will gain valuable insights through a dynamic lineup of sessions, including:
Newly Added: Mary Hirsh-Justice will share her insights on PHAS indicators and answer your questions on HUD systems.
Repositioning Public Housing: Options & Opportunities โ Explore strategies to sustain and modernize your housing portfolio.
Understanding PHAS Indicators โ Strengthen your agencyโs performance with our half day session focused on PHAS. We know that it can be a challenge to manage and keep track of the many elements that contribute to your PHAS score. Our session will help you better understand the key elements for assessment and how you can use PHAS to proactively manage your public housing portfolio. If you have public housing, this half day session is for you!ย
Best Practices & Policies for Hearings โ Navigate hearings with confidence strategies and real-world considerations.
Legislative & Policy Updates โ Stay informed on the latest policy developments impacting housing authorities.ย
Skill Building Workshops on Burnout, De-escalation & Handling Hostile Clients featuringย Dr. Lisa Sorensen
- Giving Burnout the Boot: A Toolkit for Renewal – Feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or detached? This session is designed to guide you from chronic burnout back to a state of vitality. We will bridge the gap between understanding the physiology of stress and taking practical action. You will learn how to identify personal triggers, break the cycle of exhaustion, and foster lasting mental and emotional resilience.
- Working with Challenging Customers/Clients – Hostile, difficult, frustrated, emotional, and upset people are all around us. At some point or another, we are all faced with difficult people or situations. This course provides a practical toolkit for navigating and de-escalating potentially difficult or intense circumstances. During this session, we will review tools and techniques for maintaining emotional regulation, de-escalating conflicts, and effectively managing aggressive behavior.
- Trauma and the Workplace – This introductory session provides a foundational understanding of how trauma, ranging from acute events to chronic toxic stress, affects brain function, behavior, and performance at work. Participants will learn toย identify signs and effects of traumaย and review practical skills to help those experiencing distress without becoming overwhelmed.
Plus much more…
Beyond the sessions, enjoy networking events, roundtables by role and region, and opportunities to share ideas with peers who understand your challenges and successes.ย
Whether youโre a seasoned leader or new to the field, this conference offers actionable tools, fresh perspectives, and valuable connections you wonโt want to miss.
Register today and be part of strengthening Minnesotaโs housing community!
Event Details
Sessions
We will post session material as we receive them from our speakers. Thanks for joining us!ย
Plenary – Giving Burnout the Boot: A Toolkit for Renewal
-Speaker: Dr Lisa Sorensenย
Session Material – to be postedย
Repositioning Public Housing: Options & Opportunities
Speaker: Jill Keppers, Duluth HRA
Session Material – to be postedย
Trauma and the Workplace – How Trauma Impacts Your Work & Your Clients
– Dr Lisa Sorensen
Session Material – to be postedย
Understanding Your PHAS Indicatorsย
Speakers – Dana Hiltunen, Diane Larson, Lori Lynberg and Mary Hirsch Justtice
Session Material – to be postedย
Best Practices & Policies for Hearings
Speaker – Brandon Engblom, Duluth HRAย
Session Material – to be postedย
Working with Challenging Clients & Customers
Speaker – Dr. Lisa Sorensen
Session Material – to be postedย
Ask the HUD Data Expert & Public Housing Rountableย
Speaker – Mary Hirsch Justice, Housing Data Symstems
Session Material – to be postedย
Employee Safety & De-escalation Techniquesย
Speaker – Detective Jon Swenson, Virginia Police Departmentย
Session Material – to be postedย
Connect & Comply – The New Digital Front Door for HRAs
Speakers – Taggert Medgaarden, Allison Streich & Wendy Anderson, Aurora Web Solutionsย
Session Material – to be postedย
Minnesota 2026 Legislative Updateย
Speaker – Sam Richie, Larken & Hoffman & Minnesota NAHRO lobbyistย
Session Material – to be postedย
Lodging Info
Lodging - Sugar Lake Lodge
Location Info
Event Sponsors
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Latest News
2026 Calendar of Events
Each year Minnesota NAHRO hosts conferences and trainings to help our members keep up to date with the affordable housing industry. Use the button below to see our event calendar which provides a list of events at the state, regional, and federal level of NAHRO. We...
$53 Million for Public Housing Rehab Awarded to Minnesota HRAs
Minnesota Housing recenlty awarded $53 million to finance in repairs and updates to 32 public housing buildings across the state. The resulting work will help preserve more than 3,200 apartments statewide, including 22 projects in Greater Minnesota and 10 in the Twin...
New Report: Rental Assistance Keeps Over 100,000 Minnesotans Housed โ Cuts Threaten Stability
More than 100,000 households across Minnesota โ including seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and working families โ rely on federal rental assistance to stay in their homes and connected to their communities. MHP and Minnesota NAHROโs report breaks down who...
Latest News
2026 Calendar of Events
Each year Minnesota NAHRO hosts conferences and trainings to help our members keep up to date with the affordable housing industry. Use the button below to see our event calendar which provides a list of events at the state, regional, and federal level of NAHRO. We...
$53 Million for Public Housing Rehab Awarded to Minnesota HRAs
Minnesota Housing recenlty awarded $53 million to finance in repairs and updates to 32 public housing buildings across the state. The resulting work will help preserve more than 3,200 apartments statewide, including 22 projects in Greater Minnesota and 10 in the Twin...
New Report: Rental Assistance Keeps Over 100,000 Minnesotans Housed โ Cuts Threaten Stability
More than 100,000 households across Minnesota โ including seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and working families โ rely on federal rental assistance to stay in their homes and connected to their communities. MHP and Minnesota NAHROโs report breaks down who...


