2026 Ivory Prize Finalists offer Solutions across Construction & Design, Finance and Policy Reform to Solve America's Housing Affordability Crisis

From robotics to revolving funds to eviction prevention, companies and organizations offer real-world solutions to tackle the nation's housing challenge

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ivory Innovations, an operating foundation and research center based at the University of Utah, today announced the finalists for the 2026 Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability, each offering innovative, practical and scalable solutions that are designed to make homeownership and stable housing more accessible for American families.

The finalists represent a diverse cross-section of innovation—from construction robotics and modular manufacturing to creative financing mechanisms and landmark policy reforms. Winners will be selected across three categories: Construction & Design, Finance, and Policy & Regulatory Reform, with $300,000 awarded to advance the most impactful solutions. Selections are made by Ivory Innovations' Advisory Board, a group of leading experts representing disciplines across the housing ecosystem. Ivory Innovations will announce the winners and runners-up on May 12, 2026.

"There is no silver bullet for our nation's housing crisis, but this year's Ivory Prize finalists are delivering proven solutions to the diverse set of challenges that keep costs high," said Chad Reed, Vice President of Programs and Strategy at Ivory Innovations. "In a fragmented, risk-averse housing industry, the Ivory Prize exists to elevate what works so others can learn from these great solutions and examples and replicate them at scale."

Rethinking How We Build & Design Houses
In the Construction & Design category, finalists are reimagining everything from how homes are manufactured to how the workforce that builds them is trained. BoulderMOD, a Colorado-based public-sector partnership, exemplifies this dual approach: operating a modular housing factory on school-owned land that simultaneously produces affordable housing units and trains the next generation of construction workers. The model demonstrates how communities can address housing supply and workforce shortages in a single, integrated solution.

Build Reuse is a national association that empowers local communities to convert construction and demolition waste (the largest single form of refuse in the U.S.) into community resources through technical standards, workforce training and policy reform.

Other Construction & Design finalists include SoLa Impact: Model/Z, which operates a modular factory in South Los Angeles and leverages AI technology to build affordable housing; and Okibo, deploying AI-guided autonomous robots for drywall finishing and painting.

Unlocking Capital for Housing Affordability
Finance category finalists are creating new pathways to fund affordable housing development and expand access to homeownership. Oro Impact is an employer-sponsored homeownership benefits platform that helps workers save for and purchase homes through payroll-based savings, employer matching and housing education.

This category also features Nestment, a first-time homebuying platform that combines coaching, digital tools and partner networks to expand access to ownership through co-buying, house-hacking and small multifamily strategies. Head Start on Housing, a statewide program, connects Connecticut families with young children enrolled in Head Start to long-term rental vouchers and coordinated housing navigation support—stabilizing housing for vulnerable families during a critical developmental window.

Reforming the Rules for Affordability
Policy and Regulatory Reform finalists are proving that systemic change is possible at every level of government. The Other Side Village in Salt Lake City has created a cottage-cluster supportive housing community that enables residents to exit chronic homelessness through on-site services and innovative public-private partnerships.

The Philadelphia Eviction Diversion Program has become a national model, using mandatory court-based mediation and rental assistance to resolve landlord-tenant disputes before families lose their homes. The program's early data shows significant promise, drawing interest from cities nationwide.  In Montana, the state's bipartisan Land Use Planning Act demonstrates that pro-housing reform can transcend political divisions, combining statewide policy changes with implementation support for local communities.

The Ivory Prize: 8 Years Promoting Housing Innovation
Now in its eighth year, the Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability identifies and supports the nation's most innovative solutions to the housing crisis. Since its inception, the prize has awarded more than $1.5 million to innovators working across the housing ecosystem.

For complete information on all finalists, visit:
ivoryinnovations.org/ivory-prize-finalists-2026

About Ivory Innovations
Ivory Innovations is an academic center based at the University of Utah dedicated to catalyzing innovation in housing affordability. The organization works with students, entrepreneurs and experts to source, support, and scale the most promising housing solutions nationwide. Ivory Innovations also puts innovation into practice through its foundation arm, which has more than 1,500 affordable housing units under development in Utah. To learn more, visit ivoryinnovations.org.

SOURCE Ivory Innovations