Ivory Innovations, a nonprofit academic center based at the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business, is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability.
The Ivory Prize recognizes ambitious, practical. and scalable solutions that expand housing affordability and accessibility nationwide. Winners are awarded $300,000 in prize money across three focus areas: Construction & Design, Policy & Regulatory Reform and Finance. In addition to the monetary award, both winners and finalists receive access to operational support from Ivory Innovations’ staff and national network of funders, strategic partners, and peer innovators.
Public and private sector entities and nonprofits are welcomed to submit nominations – including self-nomination and third-party nominations – at ivoryinnovations.org/ivory-prize-nominate. The nominating period closes on Oct. 31.
Now in its eighth year, the Ivory Prize has awarded more than $1.5 million. Prize winners are selected by Ivory Innovations’ Advisory Board, which is comprised of housing experts from academia, government, and the private sector.
“The Ivory Prize shines a spotlight on groundbreaking solutions tackling America’s housing crisis – many of which would otherwise fly under the radar,” said Kimberly Burnett, executive director at Ivory Innovations. “Previous Ivory Prize winners have brought to market innovative solutions ranging from micro-factories that build houses faster, cheaper and more sustainably to historic policy reforms that streamline local zoning laws and offer tax exemptions to incentivize affordable and workforce housing. Each year, our innovators raise the bar. We expect this year’s nominations to be our best yet.”
