Previewing the 2025 Innovative Housing Showcase

Previewing the 2025 Innovative Housing Showcase

By John Gibbs, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research

As we look toward fall, I am excited to share a preview of the 2025 Innovative Housing Showcase, an event that reflects HUD's unwavering commitment to expanding housing opportunity through innovation. In a time of rising housing costs, supply constraints, and evolving community needs, the showcase offers a timely and tangible demonstration of how we can build a more affordable and resilient housing future for all Americans.

From September 6 to 10, HUD will once again transform the National Mall in Washington, D.C., into a dynamic outdoor exhibition space. The showcase will feature cutting-edge housing technologies, novel construction methods, and pioneering building materials that highlight the best accomplishments in building science and housing policy. These exhibits are not only demonstrations of what is possible but also evidence that housing innovation is happening now. Collectively, they reveal how forward-thinking approaches can elevate quality, reduce costs, and accelerate the delivery of homes that meet the diverse needs of today's households.

This year's showcase will feature three primary categories of exhibits that offer visitors a comprehensive, hands-on experience with the latest in housing innovation. First, walk-in exhibits will include full-scale homes constructed directly on the Mall. These will demonstrate a range of advanced building techniques and housing types, such as manufactured homes, modular units, 3D-printed structures, tiny homes, and panelized construction systems. Each structure represents a promising solution for communities struggling with affordability, resilience, and land constraints. Visitors will have the opportunity to step inside these homes, explore their layouts, and see how modern construction methods can deliver high-performance housing that feels familiar and livable.

In addition to full homes, the event will include on-ground exhibits that highlight individual components and systems used in today's most efficient and durable homes. These exhibits may include advanced wall sections, innovative insulation systems, foundation technologies, and structural materials designed for resilience, speed of installation, and affordability. These displays give attendees an opportunity to see how advances in building science contribute to whole-home affordability and sustainability from the inside out.

Tabletop displays that spotlight an array of technologies and innovations from across the housing ecosystem round out the exhibit experience. These compact exhibits will feature new tools, digital platforms, smart products, building materials, and engineering solutions developed by startups, research institutions, and established companies. Whether it's a next-generation heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system; permitting software; or durable cement alternatives, these innovations represent the broad and evolving toolkit available to designers, builders, policymakers, and homeowners.

This year's showcase is also historically significant. In accordance with President Trump's executive order establishing the Salute to America 250 Task Force, HUD is proud to present a new feature exhibit: 250 Years of Housing in the United States. As part of the broader national celebration of America's 250th birthday, this exhibit will guide visitors through a visual and interactive journey highlighting defining moments in U.S. housing history. From the craftsmanship of early American homesteads to postwar suburbanization, and today's push for cutting-edge housing solutions, this exhibit honors the deep and evolving role of housing in shaping the American experience.

As Secretary Turner recently remarked, housing is a powerful thread that ties generations together. The 250 Years exhibit underscores how the American Dream of homeownership has served as a foundation for prosperity, stability, and community across the centuries. The exhibit also serves as a reminder that housing innovation is not a recent development; it is part of our national tradition. The policies we craft and the homes we build today are part of a legacy that continues to shape the lives of future generations.

The showcase is not only about displaying new products; it is also about advancing dialogue and sharing knowledge — which is why this year's event will feature a robust lineup of educational programming, with four expert-led panel discussions that address some of the most urgent challenges and transformative opportunities facing the housing sector. The first session will offer a keynote focused on national trends and regulatory barriers that constrain housing supply and innovation. This high-level conversation will set the stage for the event by exploring how policy reform can unlock the potential of modern construction and streamline the development process across jurisdictions.

The second panel will highlight breakthroughs in materials, design, and construction. Speakers will share real-world applications of new technologies, building systems, and design practices that are driving improvements in housing efficiency, sustainability, and affordability. The third panel will delve into financing innovations, exploring tools and partnerships that are expanding access to capital, lowering barriers to homeownership, and unlocking new models for financing housing production. The final panel will focus on the role of Opportunity Zones in catalyzing investment in underserved communities.

The Showcase is more than a demonstration; it is a forum for connection and collaboration. It brings together researchers, homebuilders, entrepreneurs, and members of the public for a shared purpose: to accelerate housing solutions that work. Whether it's learning from peers, engaging with new technologies, or participating in discussions that shape future policy, the showcase offers something for everyone committed to building a better housing future.

HUD is honored to lead this event and to provide a platform for ideas and innovations that make a lasting impact. We know that solving our housing challenges will take creativity, commitment, and partnership, and the showcase is a reflection of all three. From the technology on display to the conversations we host, the goal is to inspire action that moves us closer to a housing system that is more efficient and advanced.

We look forward to welcoming you to Washington, D.C., this September. I encourage you to stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks, and I invite you to join us in celebrating and advancing the promise of housing innovation in the United States.