When over a thousand housing practitioners, policymakers, lenders, and advocates gathered at the Spokane Convention Center for Housing Washington 2026 (October 20–22), the mandate was clear: tackle the housing crisis through bold equity, cross-sector partnership, and practical action.
Convened by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission alongside the Washington State Department of Commerce and the Washington Housing Alliance Education Network, the annual summit serves as the state’s cornerstone for affordable housing innovation.
As an active collective, we welcomed attendees to our booth and joined plenary stages to share real-world development insights. Here is a look back at our time in Spokane and the lasting takeaways we’re bringing back to our work.
A Growing Ecosystem
Navigating real estate development as an underrepresented builder can often feel isolating. Attending Housing Washington 2026 reinforced that an entire statewide ecosystem is actively organizing around systemic change.
“This is my first Housing Washington conference, and the most surprising thing was the sheer volume of people who make this their life’s work... It lets me know that we’re not in this alone. We have legislators, funders, developers, brokers, architects, and contractors—the full gamut of folks really interested in tackling solutions together.”
“I’ve been really surprised by the amount of diversity and diverse voices that have been invited to participate in describing what we want to see in the built environment.”
Taking the Stage
On Day 3, 1DROP members and strategic partners took the stage for the landmark roundtable session: "Does 'Forever Affordable' Work for Black Homeowners? Black Wealth Building Through Homeownership in Washington."
The discussion brought critical questions about permanent affordability, long-term ownership, and generational wealth creation to the forefront. The panel featured:
Kiara Daniels (3D Homes | 1DROP Member)
Dominique Rémy (Walk Your Plans Seattle | 1DROP Co-Founder)
India Clark (Northwest Investment Partners | 1DROP Member)
Michael Hopkins (TAC Build | 1DROP Member)
Sandesh Sadalge (City of Tacoma Council Member)
“We do not have enough permanently affordable housing. We don’t have enough land trusts. We don’t have enough co-ops. We don’t have enough deed-restricted housing. Today, 99.3% of all housing is fee-simple, and 0.2% is roughly the amount of each of co-ops, land trusts, and deed-restricted housing. That is the first thing we must acknowledge.”
“Permanent affordability isn’t about traditional homeownership—it’s about survival and cost stabilization for families overpaying in rent without gaining equity. Your housing must be stable before stepping into the broader market. As Washington expands funding, we have to stay creative and flexible in how we serve people.”
What We Carry Forward
Our time at Housing Washington 2026 proved that pairing community builders with capital, peer mentorship, and technical support shifts the broader industry conversation. By bringing active practitioners to the stage, we kept real-world development challenges—like land acquisition friction and underwriting barriers—front and center.
Conferences provide inspiration, but real change happens block by block, permit by permit, and home by home. Housing Washington 2026 reinforced that our mission to empower underrepresented developers to build 1% of the region’s housing is built on collective, ongoing work.
About 1DROP
1DROP is a collective of underrepresented real estate developers addressing the Puget Sound housing crisis. We are committed to empowering underrepresented developers to build housing for all wages, all stages, and all ages while growing access to generational wealth.
1DROP achieves its mission by internally providing:
Apprenticeships for aspiring underrepresented developers.
Co-development frameworks for emerging underrepresented developers to navigate partnership models.
Mentorship, networking, resources and supports for all underrepresented developers.
and externally:
Advocating for funding for underrepresented developers and their projects.
Educating on and advancing policy solutions that enable more housing.
For those inspired to learn more or get involved in supporting equitable housing, visit 1DROP's website to explore our initiatives and join us in making an impact.
Have questions or suggestions for this post?
We're here to engage! For edits, feedback, or inquiries about this blog post, please reach out to press@1drop.co.