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 Collective 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
As a sister organization of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, we draw on rigorous research and policy expertise to select promising innovators and guide them toward the highest impact. In return, the solutions we field serve to inform better future research and policies.
Timeline
2015
Terner Center Founded
The Terner Center for Housing Innovation is founded at UC Berkeley with the mantra “No Limits.” It is named for Don Terner, a visionary leader in addressing California’s housing challenges. Read more about Don Terner.
2019
Housing Venture Lab Launches
Terner Center launches the Housing Venture Lab, an accelerator to support early-stage ventures innovating in housing affordability.
2020
Terner Labs Founded
Terner Labs was founded as an independent 501c3 to complement the work of the Terner Center. The founding focus was to grow the Housing Venture Lab program, which became a part of the nonprofit, and to launch aligned initiatives to scale technology and construction innovation to address the toughest housing challenges.
2022
Data Solutions Lab Launches
Terner Labs’ Data Solutions Lab launches its Housing Supply Simulator in Los Angeles, helping leadership in the planning department refine housing policy decisions.
2023
Housing Venture Lab Grows
The Housing Venture Lab’s portfolio grows to over twenty organizations with the start of the fourth cohort. Alumni raise over $490M to accomplish their goals.
2024
Builders Lab Launches
Our second accelerator program, the Builders Lab, launches to support innovators in architecture, engineering, construction, and design.
Our Team
Careers
Join Our Team
Terner Labs does not currently have any open positions. Sign up for our email newsletter to be notified of future openings!
Our Supporters
- Andrew Sutherland
- Brad Blackwell
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
- Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
- Howard & Irene Levine Family Foundation
- Ivory Foundation
- Jordan Moss
- Payette River Foundation
- Michael Covarrubias
- Peter & Christy Palmisano
- Sobrato Foundation
- San Diego Regional Policy Innovation Council
- Meta
- The Ballmer Group
- Wells Fargo Foundation
- Weingart Foundation
- JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- JD Ross
- Open Philanthropy
- Union Bank
- Bill Falik
Our work with the Terner Center
Our relationship with the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley grounds our work in research and equips us to identify emergent policies and innovations with potential to scale.
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.