Approximately 350 people attended the eighth annual City of Fort Wayne Fair Housing Summit today.
City of Fort Wayne news release:
Approximately 350 people attend 8th annual Fair Housing Summit
Urban League’s Aisha Arrington honored with Fair Housing Advocate AwardFort Wayne, Indiana (April 22, 2026) – Approximately 350 people attended the eighth annual Fair Housing Summit today and heard from keynote speaker Brian Goldstone, the author of There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America.
Written by journalist and author Brian Goldstone, There is No Place for Us details the lives of individuals working and struggling to find housing in Atlanta. The book was a finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and was named one of the 10 Best Books of 2025 by The New York Times and The Atlantic.
The Summit is hosted by the City of Fort Wayne’s Metropolitan Human Relations Commission and the Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services and took place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Conference Center, 4000 Parnell Ave.
During the Summit, Aisha Arrington, CEO of the Fort Wayne Urban League, was presented with the inaugural Fair Housing Advocate Award. The award recognizes individuals who go above and beyond in advancing fair housing—not just through their work, but through their willingness to partner, collaborate, and lead.
“Aisha has consistently been open to working alongside the Metropolitan Human Relations Commission and Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services to bring people together, support education efforts, and move this work forward,” said Nikki Quintana, executive director of the Metropolitan Human Relations Commission. “Aisha played a key role in organizing our recent Unwelcomed Exhibit and the February Fair Housing series, and we are grateful for her commitment to fair housing.”
In addition to the keynote address from Brian Goldstone, the plenary address was delivered by Joshua V. Barr, president of Raising the Barr, about artificial intelligence bias as it relates to fair housing. Other topics included the Business Case for Fair Housing, Advocacy for Missing Middle Housing, Rapid Housing Solutions for People with Income and more.
“The 2026 Fair Housing Summit highlighted the challenge of homelessness, as well as other fair housing concerns,” said Kelly Lundberg, director of the Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services. “We hope this year’s Summit inspired local leaders to learn about and help address the growing need for affordable and accessible housing in our community.”
Sponsors for the event included: First Merchants, UPSTAR Alliance of REALTORS®, WesBanco, 1st Source Bank, AARP, Old National Bank and Lake City Bank.
About Fort Wayne Metro
Fort Wayne Metro’s mission is to enforce civil rights laws and empower the citizens of Fort Wayne through education on diversity and discrimination issues. The City’s Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services, part of the Community Development Division, works to attract and support housing investment throughout the community and expand access to safe, quality, affordable housing. The department also partners with local non-profit organizations to address critical needs in the community.
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