Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge

Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge is sponsored by Wells Fargo Foundation (Managed by Enterprise Community Partners). The Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge aims to transform housing through innovations in design and construction, financing, and resident services, with a focus on expanding housing inventory and increasing access to affordable homes.

National Housing Innovation Grant Competition | Enterprise Community Partners Home is foundational. It’s where we plant roots, raise and care for our families, and build community bonds. Yet in every corner of the country, millions of people of all ages and backgrounds need a home they can afford.

Wells Fargo is meeting this moment with a powerful grant opportunity. Together with Enterprise, Wells Fargo has launched the third iteration of the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge. The 2026 cycle of this housing innovation competition will identify and propel proven, ready-to-scale solutions that transform current practices and increase housing choice and access.

Eligible applicants are competing for five individual grants of $2 million to advance their innovation and drive meaningful, systems-level change in the housing and adjacent industries. Winners will also gain access to mentorship and coaching from industry leaders and experts and will join a powerful network of Breakthrough Challenge innovators. Round 1 of the challenge closed on May 15, 2026.

Semi-finalists selected to advance to Round 2 will be announced by late summer 2026. This third cycle of the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge aims to meet the nation’s affordable housing challenges across all types of communities: Native, rural, suburban, tribal, and urban.

Proposals must encompass one or more of three focus areas: Service Delivery and Programs Applicants will be asked to show how their proof of concept or pilot program has achieved clear outcomes and success, and provide a clear pathway to expanding the innovation’s reach and impact. "Wells Fargo is working with Enterprise to help surface and accelerate solutions that expand access to quality, affordable housing.

The goal is to support approaches that can be replicated across markets and help more communities respond to real housing affordability challenges." Sarah Bainton Kahn, Head of Housing Access and Affordability Philanthropy, Wells Fargo The competition is open to a broad range of organizations across all 50 states and Washington, D. C.

: Mission-oriented for-profit entities Quasi-governmental organizations, Housing Authorities and Housing Finance Agencies with a 501(c)(3) entity Tribally Designated Housing Entities and Tribal Housing Authorities Priority scoring will be given to applications from organizations based in, or designing innovations for, the 28 states, plus D. C. , highlighted in the map below.

Wells Fargo has been an incredible partner on the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge. Together, we are looking for these innovations to push the needle to meet the nation’s housing needs and opportunities — and really make an impact. Baaba Halm, SVP, Solutions Division, Enterprise The Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge is a three-round competition.

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges, including leaders from Wells Fargo, Enterprise, and nationally recognized housing and community development experts.

April 1 - May 15, 2026 (Closed) August 2026 through September 2026 Round 2 semifinalists announced by late summer 2026 Round 3 finalists announced in November 2026 Meet the winners of the first two cycles of the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge and discover how they’re advancing bold solutions to address housing shortages, reduce costs, and expand access.

These innovators have taken promising ideas to scale through rigor, determination, and collaboration — creating more opportunities for people to find a home they can afford. While working on an HVAC retrofit of an aging housing complex, mechanical engineer-turned-entrepreneur David Goldstein reframed the problem: “What if you could wrap a building in a heated blanket?

” That question led to Hydroshell, a 2023 Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge winner. Poised for its first full-scale pilot, the company’s prefabricated panels are ready to deploy — with the potential to cut heating costs by up to 80%.

See how innovation changes lives Past winners of the 2020 and 2023 Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge continue to move their innovations forward in exciting ways: increasing housing supply, accelerating production, and scaling across geographies. For one housing leader in Southeast Alaska, this engaged cohort is making a pivotal difference.

We’re changing the dynamic of how housing is delivered for generations – and we’ve learned so much from being part of this cohort. Jackie Pata, CEO, Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority HOMES BUILT & PRESERVED BY PAST WINNERS Interested in the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge? Read through our FAQs, or contact us at [email protected] .