#United States #Salt Lake City #housing affordability #Ivory Innovations #Ivory Prize

Ivory Innovations Calls for Innovative Solutions to Housing Affordability

Ivory Innovations, a nonprofit academic center affiliated with the University of Utah's David Eccles School of Business, is pleased to announce the opening of nominations for the 2026 Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability. This initiative, now in its eighth year, aims to recognize and support bold, practical, and scalable solutions that seek to improve housing affordability across the United States.

The nominations will remain open until October 31, 2025, inviting innovators from all sectors—including startups, public entities, and nonprofit organizations—to present their ideas. Both self-nominations and third-party nominations are encouraged. With a total of $300,000 in prize money available, this year's competition is expected to be highly competitive, focusing on three essential areas: Construction & Design, Policy & Regulatory Reform, and Finance.

Kimberly Burnett, Executive Director of Ivory Innovations, emphasized the importance of the Ivory Prize, stating, "The Ivory Prize shines a spotlight on groundbreaking solutions tackling America's housing crisis that might otherwise be overlooked. Previous winners have introduced innovative solutions ranging from micro-factories that construct homes more efficiently to significant policy changes that facilitate affordable housing development. Each year, our innovators surpass expectations, and we are excited to see what this year's nominations bring."

Since its inception, the Ivory Prize has awarded over $1.5 million to various innovators nationwide, reflecting its commitment to fostering innovative ideas in housing affordability. Winners are selected by the Advisory Board of Ivory Innovations, which includes experts in housing from diverse backgrounds, encompassing academia, government, and industry.

Additional Programs Supporting Housing Innovation

Beyond the Ivory Prize, Ivory Innovations spearheads various programs dedicated to enhancing housing affordability and accessibility. These include:

• - Hack-A-House: A 24-hour hackathon aimed at college and graduate students, where teams come together to devise innovative strategies for addressing the housing crisis. The next event is scheduled for September 26, 2025. Registration is currently open for interested participants.

• - Fieldworks: This program assists innovators—ranging from builders to tech companies—to implement their solutions in real-world settings. Innovators selected for Fieldworks will collaborate directly with Ivory Innovations to apply their concepts within a portion of a significant pipeline of over 1,500 affordable housing units currently under development in Utah.

• - 2025 Ivory Prize Summit: Set for October 29, 2025, this summit will gather winners and finalists of the Ivory Prize to share their insights and engage with entrepreneurs, policymakers, and industry professionals, focusing on the most promising housing innovation strategies.

For those interested in submitting a nomination for the 2026 Ivory Prize or for more details about the initiative, please visit ivoryinnovations.org/ivory-prize.

About Ivory Innovations

Ivory Innovations is an esteemed academic center established at the University of Utah, dedicated to catalyzing innovation in housing affordability. The organization collaborates with students, entrepreneurs, and experts to identify and accelerate the most promising housing solutions throughout the country. Additionally, Ivory Innovations practices what it advocates through its foundation, which is currently developing more than 1,500 affordable housing units in Utah. For more information, visit ivoryinnovations.org.