As one of five Home is the Key activations taking place across the country, we, in partnership with the IBJ Media, will bring together community leaders, housing advocates, healthcare professionals, and supporters to explore the critical link between housing stability and community well‑being.

Reserve Your Spot

Thursday, April 30, 2026 • 8:00 AM • The Crane Bay Event Center

With the stability of affordable homeownership as a means, families and individuals build wealth, improve their health and education outcomes, and invest in their communities. The ripple effect builds stronger neighborhoods, a stronger region, and a stronger society.

Inadequate housing impacts health, especially for children. After moving into Habitat homes, asthma and allergies are two conditions that dramatically improve in children. 56% of Habitat homeowners reported improved mental health and feeling optimistic about the future.

Thank you to our event Underwriting Sponsor, Managed Health Services!

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Roshanak Mehdipanah

Roshanak is an Associate Professor of Health Behavior and Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She co-directs the Prevention Research Collaborative and leads the U‑M Housing Solutions for Health Equity initiative, which informs policy through interdisciplinary housing research. Her work focuses on how urban and built‑environment policies influence health and health inequities.

Dr. Mehdipanah’s research highlights how housing policies and real estate markets shape health disparities across individuals and neighborhoods. Through community‑based projects funded by the NIH, CDC, and WHO, she has shown how housing functions as a key determinant of health and how housing instability increases health risks.

Featured Panelists

Jack Turman, Ph.D.

Jack Turman, Jr., Ph.D. is a professor in the Dept. of Pediatrics at the IU School of Medicine. He has dedicated his years in academia to growing education, research and outreach programs that optimize maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes for marginalized communities.
Jamal Smith

Jamal Smith is the Executive Director of the Indy Health District with a track record of building complex, place-based initiatives that align healthcare, housing, education, workforce development, and community investment to drive measurable improvements in population health.
Lindsay M. Weaver, MD, FACEP

Dr. Weaver serves as the State Health Commissioner. She brings to the role a passion for improving the health of Hoosiers through a focus on prevention, data-informed programming, and access to care in all corners of the state.
Dr. Virginia Caine, M.D.

Dr. Caine serves as the director for Marion County Public Health Department here in Indianapolis. She is a specialist in infectious diseases and is nationally recognized for her work with AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.