About the Challenge
Identifying, accelerating and scaling the next generation of housing affordability solutions.
The need for affordable housing nationwide continues to exceed the supply. That demand reflects the impetus and inspiration behind the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge.
Overview
Administered by Enterprise and made possible by the generous support of Wells Fargo, the challenge seeks to close the affordable housing gap by elevating and transforming housing affordability innovations into real solutions.
Keep up with all the latest news on our Breakthrough Challenge innovators!
The primary goals of the challenge are to:
- Identify, accelerate and scale promising ideas, models and approaches
- Provide peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities
- Share ideas and models that engage a wider audience in the search for innovations
Grant Winners
The Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge is a three-year $20 million initiative. It launched in January 2020 with the goal to identify and scale six leading-edge innovations.
Enterprise and Wells Fargo announced the six winners in September 2020. Two winners were selected from each of the Breakthrough Challenge's three focus areas: Construction, Financing, and Resident Services and Support. Each winner received a $2.5 million award – a $2 million grant and $500,000 in technical assistance support.
The winners represent an array of breakthrough ideas and approaches stretching from the forests of Washington state to the five boroughs of New York City. Their range and reach are vast. Rural homeownership. Carbon capture. Fair underwriting. Community health care. Justice housing. Trauma-informed care. Together, these six innovations promise to increase the supply of affordable homes, promote racial equity and build a more sustainable and equitable housing system.
At this writing, all six grantees are making exciting progress. Some are closing pivotal transactions. Others are completing critical protocols. Still more are breaking ground and linking people to stable, affordable homes.
Enterprise organizes and hosts regular convenings with the six winners. These peer-to-peer opportunities provide a valuable cohort experience. They also promote the cross-pollination of ideas and approaches.
Challenge Details
The Selection Process
Because housing affordability looks different in rural areas, tribal communities, cities and suburbs, the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge is national in scope. Innovators in all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, were invited to participate in the competitive application process launched in mid-January.
Three Pillars of Innovation
Our winners are implementing breakthrough ideas across these focus areas.
Innovation, In Living Color
After over a year of virtual meetings, winners of the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge and key partners gathered for their first live convening. Breakthrough Challenge winner cdcb | come dream. come build. hosted the event in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas – and gave tours showing the remarkable progress on their MiCASiTA innovation.
Stay connected to follow the progress of our six housing innovators
