Our 2026 Areas of Interest

Each year, the Housing Venture Lab interviews our partners, community leaders, and investors to understand where innovation in the housing sector can have the greatest impact. These conversations (along with lessons learned over the years from the Terner Labs team and the Terner Center’s research and policy work) inform our areas of interest for each year’s Housing Venture Lab cohort, which are detailed below. This year's cohort members will fall within one of two tracks - Building Innovation and Opportunity and Access (learn more about these tracks).

Successful applicants will have a model for increasing affordability while addressing the Housing Venture Labs' core values: equity, accessibility, and sustainability. More essential than alignment with any specific area of interest is that applicants demonstrate that at least one of our core values is meaningfully integrated into their strategy and operations, and that their models will not have negative impacts to equity, accessibility, or sustainability.

Please note: These are areas where we see high value and high potential, but they do not limit the makeup of our final cohort.

In past years, some selected ventures have not aligned neatly with our stated areas of interest (The Kelsey, Esusu, and Blackstar Stability are just a few examples). If you believe your organization is a fit, we encourage you to apply.

Building Innovation

• Companies working to increase production to meet the demand of ‘missing middle’ housing
• Software, including AI-powered tools, focused on streamlining design, engineering, and construction to reduce the cost of new housing
• Innovations in physical methods of delivering new housing through off-site construction or other approaches 
  

Opportunity and Access

• Companies providing financing, sourcing, or other support for “missing middle” housing
• Tools focused on reducing the cost and delivery time of new housing by streamlining processes like permitting for cities, potentially by incorporating AI or machine learning
• Models that expand access to housing stability and wealth-building for populations facing unique barriers. This may include shared equity models, co-housing, or financing innovations which improve credit scores or offer credit system alternatives
• Innovations advancing climate adaptation and resilience by, for example, expanding access to climate-smart insurance, creating tools for retrofits, or strengthening housing stability for communities most affected by climate change
• Systems to support naturally affordable rental housing, including by retaining small- and medium-sized landlords, ensuring homes are livable, keeping renters in place, and democratizing rental data