Home is the Key to Health

In partnership with IBJ Media, our annual breakfast event will shine a light on affordable housing and why home is the key to stronger communities.

Reserve Your Spot

Join Us on April 30, 2026 • 7:30 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.

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.

  • Jim Morris - Moderator

    Jim Morris - Moderator

    Jim is in his 16th year leading Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity as President & CEO. He has guided our affiliate from providing 24 housing solutions in Marion County annually to over 100 in four counties annually.  

  • Jack Turman

    Jack Turman

    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

    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.

Relive the 2025 event by browsing the photos

2025 Home is the Key

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