Join us for HELP USA’s annual symposium, UPSTREAM: Frontline Solutions to Homelessness, on April 30, 2025, in partnership with City & State. This event will bring together a cross-section of industry leaders, advocates, and policymakers to discuss urgent strategies and innovative solutions to address homelessness in New York City. This year’s event tackles the most pressing challenge facing NYC’s homeless services system: the extreme shortage of affordable housing. With shelters at capacity, vouchers falling short, and eviction prevention programs overwhelmed, how do we move beyond crisis management toward real, scalable solutions?
Full line up of speakers and agenda below.
EVENT AGENDA:
8:30 – 9:00 AM | Registration & Breakfast
9:00 – 9:10 AM | Emcees Kick-off and Welcome Remarks:
- Shayla Madramootoo, AVP Families with Children, HELP USA
- Iesha Moore, AVP Single Adults, HELP USA
- Dan Lehman – HELP USA President & CEO
9:10 – 9:15 AM | Opening Remarks – Adolfo Carrion, NYC Deputy Mayor for Housing
9:15 – 9:35 AM | Opening Plenary – Ann Oliva, CEO, National Alliance to End Homelessness
Setting the tone for the day, hear a national perspective on the affordable housing crisis and how the critical shortage is driving people into homelessness who historically fall outside of the traditional homeless population indicators. Learn how the housing crisis is breaking the homeless response system across the country.
9:40 – 10:40 AM | Policy: The Housing Crisis IS the Homeless Crisis
Focus: Panelists will explore the disconnect between policy intentions and real-world implementation – why thousands of people remain unhoused despite having rental assistance, how land-use regulations stall the creation of deeply affordable units, and which policy shifts are necessary to break the gridlock. The discussion will focus on actionable reforms, drawing from local and national strategies to unlock the full potential of affordable and supportive housing as the most effective tool for preventing and ending homelessness.
Moderator: Bea de la Torre, Chief Philanthropy Officer, Trinity Church Wallstreet
Panelists:
- Rafael Cestero, President & CEO, The Community Preservation Corp.
- Rachel Fee, Executive Director, New York Housing Conference
- Leila Bozorg, Executive Director for Housing, City of New York
- Baaba Halm, SVP Programs, Enterprise Community Partners
10:40 – 10:55 AM | Break
10:55 – 11:55 AM | Practice: From Crisis to Stability – The Reality of Finding & Staying Housed in NYC
Focus: Panelists will examine the barriers that prevent people from transitioning out of shelter and into permanent housing, despite the availability of vouchers and supportive housing programs. The discussion will unpack the bottlenecks in the placement process, from administrative delays to landlord resistance, and highlight the site-level strategies that have successfully accelerated housing placements. Panelists will also explore what happens after placement—why housing retention remains challenging for many, how supportive services can prevent returns to homelessness, and a special guest will share lived experience with the voucher process.
Moderator: Shambhavi Manglik, Senior Program Officer, Housing, Robin Hood
Panelists:
- Molly Park, NYC DSS Commissioner
- Kenny Burgos, CEO, New York Apartment Association
- Jina Park, SVP Family Services, HELP USA
- Permanent Supportive Housing Resident
12:00 – 12:30 PM | Spotlight Discussion: Robert Craig Films – No Address
Focus: Sit down with Jennifer Stolo (Robert Craig Films) and learn about No Address, a powerful film that exposes the realities of homelessness in America. The conversation will explore the inspiration behind the film, the challenges of portraying homelessness authentically, and the role of media in shaping public perception and policy solutions. This discussion will offer a compelling look at how storytelling can drive awareness and action, highlighting the film’s impact and the urgent need for housing-focused solutions.
Guest: Jennifer Stolo, CEO of Robert Craig Films, “No Address” motion picture
12:30 – 1:15 PM | Lunch – Presented by Lamb Insurance
1:15 – 1:45 PM | Keynote Speaker – Brian Goldstone, author of “There’s No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America” with Daniel Farrell, HELP USA COO
Focus: Journalist and author Brian Goldstone explores the growing crisis of working Americans experiencing homelessness, drawing from his book There’s No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America. In conversation with HELP USA’s Chief Operating Officer, Danny Farrell, they will examine the economic instability, rising housing costs, and systemic failures that have left millions without a home, challenging conventional narratives about who becomes homeless and why. Together, they will discuss parallels between the book, the national crisis, and the NYC housing landscape, shedding light on urgent, real-world solutions that move beyond short-term fixes to create lasting change.
1:50 – 2:45 PM | Forecast: Expanding Housing Solutions – Can NYC Build Its Way Out?
Focus: Panelists will explore scalable, innovative housing solutions that move beyond traditional development. The discussion will highlight new construction technologies, corporate-backed investment funds, and adaptive reuse as strategies to expand supply and accelerate the transition from homelessness to housing stability. Speakers will examine barriers to scaling housing production, the role of private capital, and lessons from national models in modular housing, rapid deployment, and public-private partnerships. The conversation will center on actionable solutions NYC can implement now to build more housing, faster.
Moderator: Kirk Goodrich, President, Monadnock Development
Panelists:
- Andi Phillips, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Maycomb Capital
- Marc Norman, Associate Dean, NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate
- Nadine Maleh, Director of Housing Systems, Community Solutions, Inc.
2:45 – 2:50 PM | Closing Remarks – Samantha Conlan, HELP USA SVP Development & Communications
See last year’s symposium here
