HUD‑Supported Breakthrough Regional Pilots Summit Charts a Scalable Path Forward for Offsite Construction and Housing Supply

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and its strategic partner MOD X convened for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Breakthrough Regional Pilots Summit on April 7, 2026, at the NIBS offices in Washington, DC. The summit brought together six state/regional groups pioneering offsite-construction housing programs, along with federal and industry leaders, to share lessons and strategies to advance offsite construction as a critical approach to increasing housing supply nationwide.

A sleeves-rolled-up working summit, focused on program implementation, stress‑testing emerging regional strategies, aligning near‑term actions, and identifying pathways to scale proven approaches. Participating regions shared progress on their diverse regional action plans and pilot programs aimed at accelerating offsite housing delivery while navigating real‑world regulatory, market, and capacity constraints.

The summit marked a major milestone in the two-year HUD-funded HUD Breakthrough Regional Pilots Project: Growing Offsite Construction for Housing Through Regional Pilot Projects, led by NIBS and MOD X. "Over the last several years, we have worked first to identify the core barriers to accelerating offsite construction for housing, then to examine the most effective government-led actions at the national level in the U.S. and in peer contexts including Sweden, the European Union, Japan, and the UK. This summit brought that work down to the regional scale, highlighting what six U.S. regions are doing in practice and how those efforts align with past lessons and global best practices. We were also fortunate to gain input from federal agencies, including HUD and DOE, alongside partners such as ICC, on how these local efforts dovetail with broader federal efforts to address the ongoing housing affordability crisis," said Ivan Rupnik, Founding Partner of MOD X.

Participating regions—Minnesota, Virginia, Greater Boston, Utah, Washington, and California—presented their diverse action plans and pilot concepts. Each presentation highlighted regional housing goals, implementation actions, proposed legislation, pilot designs, infill strategies, and cross‑sector coordination and education needs, enabling peers and federal partners to identify common challenges and transferable solutions.

"Our summit demonstrates the power of regionally grounded action paired with national collaboration," said George Guszcza, President and CEO of the National Institute of Building Sciences. "By aligning policymakers, industry, and researchers around shared outcomes, we can modernize housing delivery systems and accelerate the adoption of high‑performance, affordable solutions."

Discussions also explored the establishment of Regional Innovation Hubs that integrate industry, government, academia, and nonprofit partners, as well as the future role of Housing System Certification as a performance‑based, outcomes‑driven approach to building code compliance.

Insights and outputs from the summit will directly inform development of the HUD Breakthrough Pilot Handbook, a national technical assistance resource that will synthesize regional plans, pilot models, enabling conditions, and lessons learned. The handbook will be published by HUD and disseminated nationally to support other regions in launching and scaling offsite construction initiatives.

NIBS and MOD X will continue working with regional partners to translate summit outcomes into actionable guidance, helping communities across the country move from pilot projects to sustained, system‑level change.

About the National Institute of Building Sciences

Created by an act of Congress in 1974 to be the nation's authoritative source of findings and recommendations on the impact and improvement of the built environment for the American people. At the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), we connect research, policy, and practical application to advance innovation in the built environment. Our mission is to create a safer, more resilient, and technologically advanced infrastructure that serves American communities and strengthens our nation's future.

From shaping industry standards to guiding digital transformation, we empower building professionals, policymakers, and owners to make informed decisions that enhance sustainability, efficiency, and resilience. We convene experts across sectors to develop solutions that ensure construction, infrastructure, and disaster preparedness keep pace with evolving challenges.

Building American Innovation isn't just our tagline—it's our commitment. We foster collaboration between government, industry, and academia to drive forward-thinking strategies for resilient communities. Because at NIBS, we don't just build structures, we build solutions.

About MOD X

MOD X is a research-based advisory group and international knowledge exchange network integrating academic, industry, government, and related non-profit sectors (quadruple helix) in the prefabricated and volumetric modular offsite construction industry. The organization fosters a global network of industry leaders and organizations focused on advancing scalable offsite construction through specialized knowledge exchanges, factory/site tours, custom research, and strategic advisory services.

For more information, visit nibs.org or follow @bldgsciences on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn. 

For more information, visit modx.world or follow LinkedIn.

SOURCE National Institute of Building Sciences