Our Approach
1 Real-World Housing Impacts
Whether supporting ventures from start to scale, launching tools for policy decision-making, or modernizing construction methods, our work aims to spur innovation to increase housing affordability.
2 Collaboration for Change
Our work brings together a diverse and energized community of change-makers, ranging from entrepreneurs, experts, and investors to our partners in communities, government, and private industry. We have worked with research partners and academic institutes across the country, including the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, the Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University, and the Rocky Mountain Land Institute at Denver University.
3 Policy and Practice Expertise
Terner Labs works closely with the University of California, Berkeley's Terner Center for Housing Innovation, which generates actionable housing solutions through rigorous research, policy engagement, and cross-sector collaboration. Together, we combine bold innovations and deep expertise to advance affordability, equity, and sustainability.
Our Team
Careers
Join Our Team
Terner Labs is seeking a Housing Venture Lab Manager or Assistant Director to lead the program's Opportunity and Access track.
This role will play a core role in launching and running the Opportunity and Access track of the Housing Venture Lab, which supports ventures working to expand housing access and economic mobility for people across income levels. Learn more about the Opportunity and Access track here.
At either level, this person will help evaluate companies for the accelerator, provide direct support to founders, manage writing and content development for the track, and ensure the program runs smoothly.
Hands-on experience with one of the following areas is required:
- Homeownership
- Mortgage lending
- Wealth-building strategies such as shared equity or rent-to-own programs
- Housing-focused community development policies or programs
- Multifamily development or renter stability or initiatives
Our Supporters
- Arnold Ventures
- Arrow Impact
- Ballmer Group
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
- Christy and Peter Palmisano
- Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
- Nancy and Rick Holliday
- Ivory Foundation
- JP Morgan Chase & Co
- Meta
- Michael Covarrubias
- Jordan Moss
- Nathan Cummings Foundation
- Christy and Peter Palmisano
- Payette River Foundation
- San Francisco Foundation
- Sobrato Philanthropies
- Andrew Sutherland
- Weingart Foundation
- Wells Fargo
History
Established in 2015, the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley formulates strategies to house people from all walks of life in vibrant, sustainable, and affordable homes and communities.
Terner Labs was founded in 2020 as an independent nonprofit to advance housing innovation across the industry.
Together, we combine bold innovations and deep expertise to advance affordability, equity, and sustainability.
Terner Center and Terner Labs are separate legal entities with their own budgets and are funded by separate sources. The allocation of funding for joint projects is determined in advance by the funder and is structured as a sub-award. Except as otherwise specified by formal agreement, contributions to the work of Terner Labs by Terner Center staff are made outside of university duties and with only de minimus use of UC Berkeley facilities, staff, or students; and without use of the UC Berkeley’s gift, grant or funding. Terner Labs does not rely on, nor commercialize, the intellectual property of UC Berkeley, other than that which resides in the public domain. As part of our efforts to help develop next-generation leaders in housing, Terner Labs offers internships to UC Berkeley students. These internships are separate from their coursework or other academic positions they may hold on campus. Students working at the Labs are not selected by, supervised by, nor evaluated by UC Berkeley academic faculty.