2026 Housing Summit
Housing is Health: Integrating Land Use, Public Health, and Housing Policy
Session Speakers & Presentations
Jenna Krall, PhD
Jenna R. Krall, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Global and Community Health and Director of the Master of Public Health Program Office in the College of Public Health at George Mason University. Her research primarily focuses on estimating environmental exposures, including exposure to air pollution, and their impacts on human health. Most recently, she has been focused on the intersection of housing insecurity, homelessness, and extreme environmental hazards.
Maria Dougherty, MA
Zoning Matters: Understanding the Power of Zoning in Shaping our Communities
This session explores how local zoning decisions shape the availability, diversity, and affordability of housing across Virginia communities, and examines the often-overlooked connection between land use patterns and community health outcomes, from access to services and green space to deepening disparities in underserved neighborhoods. Maria is a housing and community development professional who leads real estate development and strategic consulting initiatives across Virginia's affordable housing sector. She provides strategic consulting to developers, nonprofits, and local governments on affordable housing solutions. Through her work with the nonprofit HousingForward Virginia, Maria co-authors influential housing studies and coordinates statewide educational initiatives on land use policy, helping to advance equitable housing solutions across the Commonwealth. A trusted authority on complex housing and land use challenges, she has led pioneering research initiatives, including developing the state's first regional housing trust fund and advising the general assembly on deed fraud solutions. Maria holds a Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor's degree from William & Mary and the University of St Andrews. Her prior experience includes integrating cutting-edge technology to improve communication about history and the built environment, as well as conducting research on housing crisis solutions and eviction prevention through her fellowship with the RVA EvictionLAB.
Antwan Jones, PhD
From the Beltway to the Block: Scaling Inclusionary Zoning for Hyperlocal Health Equity
Antwan Jones, PhD is a Professor of Sociology, Africana Studies, Epidemiology, and Public Policy & Public Administration at The George Washington University. His research focuses on the intersection of residential environments and health equity, specifically examining how neighborhood contexts, housing stability, and urban policies influence cardiovascular outcomes and obesity among marginalized populations. A prolific scholar, Dr. Jones has published extensively on the health implications of inclusionary zoning, mortgage foreclosures, and housing instability in urban studies journals such as Housing and Society as well as medical journals such as Circulation. Beyond the classroom and lab, he translates his research into action through advisory roles with the DC Policy Center and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Evidence for Action (E4A) program. He holds degrees from Duke University and Bowling Green State University and is a former member of the Washington DC Commission on African-American Affairs.
