Memo to Members

Register for July 14 OSAH Webinar with Legal Action Center on Recovery, Mental Health, and Housing

Jul 06, 2026

By Julie Walker, NLIHC Project Manager, Opportunity Starts at Home 

On July 14, the Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) Campaign will host a webinar, “Recovery, Mental Health, and Housing,” in partnership with OSAH Roundtable Member Legal Action Center. The webinar, held from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET, will outline the connection between access to affordable housing and recovery for individuals with substance use disorders and/or mental health conditions. Experts from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Corporation for Supportive Housing, the National Homelessness Law Center, and the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition will discuss the current landscape around housing access for people in recovery from a mental health condition or substance use disorder and discuss advocacy strategies for supportive housing models.  

Speakers include: 

  • Julie Walker, Opportunity Starts at Home project manager, National Low Income Housing Coalition 
  • Victoria Palacio Carr, deputy director of State Strategy, Legal Action Center 
  • Anita Burgos, PhD, director of public policy, National Alliance on Mental Illness 
  • Marcella Maguire, PhD, director of health systems integration, Corporation for Supportive Housing 
  • Jesse Rabinowitz, campaign and communications director, National Homelessness Law Center 
  • Ariel Johnson, director of operations, Martinsville and patient navigation, Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition 

A safe, stable, and affordable home is widely recognized as foundational for recovery and long-term health. Yet, individuals with substance use disorders or mental health conditions often face significant barriers to securing housing. As communities continue to respond to overlapping housing and health challenges, there is a growing need for cross-sector solutions that recognize housing as essential to recovery, stability, and overall well-being. Advocates will leave this webinar with an increased understanding of these issues, as well as tangible resources and messaging that they can share with their networks.  

Register for the webinar here.  

To learn more about the connections between Recovery, Mental Health, and Housing, read the OSAH fact sheet here. 

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