Housing 101

On Wednesday, September 17th, the Federal Reserve voted to cut rates for the first time in 2025, and signaled that more cuts are on the way. This move was in response to growing concerns over the slowing labor market, and the hope is that by making borrowing cheaper, economic growth will follow and help turn the tide on employment. 

The decade-plus undersupply of housing along with COVID-era inflation in housing prices and higher interest rates mean that the same construction methods, materials, and policy and regulatory frameworks that worked for earlier generations will not work for Gen Z. Instead, the majority of Gen Z are likely to struggle to afford rent, let alone reach the American Dream of homeownership, unless we think differently.

Looking to understand the housing crisis – and what we can do about it? These books – written by or featuring Ivory Prize finalists or experts – offer fresh insights, bold proposals, and important context to help us imagine and build better housing and better cities.

In a year marked by gridlock and turmoil in Washington, one bill represents a potentially huge step forward for housing innovation. Introduced by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), the ROAD to Housing Act proposes a deceptively simple reform: eliminating the federal requirement that all HUD Code manufactured homes include a permanent steel chassis. At first glance, this might seem like a small technical fix. But in practice, it could reshape the landscape for factory-built housing in

Rocket Companies, the parent company of Rocket Mortgage, announced a definitive agreement to acquire Redfin, a leading digital real estate brokerage, in an all-stock transaction valued at $1.75 billion. The move aims to integrate Rocket's mortgage services with Redfin's real estate platform.

Each year, the Ivory Prize recognizes the most promising innovations in housing affordability. Our nomination pool provides a snapshot of the most promising, ambitious innovations from across the housing industry. While our recently announced Top 25 finalists are standouts in their respective niches, with over 230 nominees in 2025, our broader nomination pool reflects a more complete snapshot of the housing innovation landscape. Our vantage point allows us to identify not onl

As the new Presidential Administration settles into Washington, DC, many are asking: what comes next? A critical topic is examining and improving the landscape of “small-dollar mortgages.” A recent opinion piece in The New York Times explains that small-dollar mortgages—generally loans under $100,000—make up a significant portion of the housing market but remain underserved by traditional mortgage lenders. In fact, a substantial percentage of homes in certain areas fall with

There’s been a lot of attention on the federal election, but as the old adage “all politics is local” goes, big decisions in housing are often made at a state and local level. From Hoboken, New Jersey to Berkeley, California, a myriad of housing-related measures showed up on state and local ballots on Tuesday across the country. These propositions largely fit into three categories: bond measures, sales tax changes, and rent control policies.