National Search for Fourth Housing Lab Cohort Has Begun

Press Release

‍Oakland, CA - February 27, 2023 - Terner Housing Innovation Labs has opened its application for the Housing Lab accelerator program - an annual, nationwide search for entrepreneurs developing innovative solutions to improve housing equity, accessibility, and sustainability.

Each year, The Housing Lab selects four to six of the strongest for profit and nonprofit applicants. Selected organizations receive ~$75,000 in seed money, six months of intensive coaching with national thought-leaders in housing innovation and entrepreneurship, and technical support to assist them as they navigate the complex regulatory and policy requirements that impact the housing industry.‍

The 2023 cohort will be the Housing Lab’s fourth group of supported ventures in a program with a proven track record of success. Since starting work with the Housing Lab, ventures have raised $400 million and improved outcomes for over 50,000 people looking to find affordable housing, build credit, or pay a mortgage. Several alumni ventures have secured significant government partnerships and advanced policy change.‍

“The connections, coaching, and relationships built during this process are priceless,” said Aishatu Yusuf, Vice President of Impact Justice, a 2021 Housing Lab cohort venture. “The Housing Lab understood what we are doing, why we are doing it and helped us refine the how and importantly, help us craft a pathway toward expansion. Not only will we keep in touch with this community, but we are partnering together to innovate and transform the housing industry."

The lab is primarily focused on organizations that address Terner Housing Innovation Labs’ core mission of advancing housing equity, accessibility and sustainability. To read more about the Housing Lab’s focus this year, please see our 2023 areas of interest. Past ventures have included venture-backed companies, housing developers, nonprofits, and spinoffs or programs of existing organizations, tackling everything from predatory home lending practices to housing formerly incarcerated individuals.

Interested ventures can apply by visiting housinglab.co/apply. The early application deadline is March 11th and the final deadline is March 30th.

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About The Housing Lab

The Housing Lab, founded in 2019, is a program of Terner Housing Innovation Labs, the sister 501(c)3 nonprofit associated with Terner Center for Housing Innovation at U.C. Berkeley. With a mission to identify and accelerate early-stage ventures with the potential to make housing more affordable and fair, The Housing Lab is the first national innovation lab focused exclusively on lowering the cost of housing.

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Media Contact

‍Kara Murray-Badal
Director, The Housing Lab
michelle.boyd@ternerlabs.org