Our Sponsors
Thank you to this year's Hack-A-House sponsors, Think Wood and WaFd Bank of Utah.
Contest Information
Overview
Three prompt topics are released at noon MT on the competition start date (September 2025). Each topic focuses on a specific challenge impacting housing affordability. After selecting a topic, participants conduct research, meet with industry experts, and ultimately prepare a short slide deck to present live via Zoom to judges and other competitors. Judging takes place on the morning of the following day (September 2025). Winners - one for each topic - are announced the same day.
Details
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Format: Fully virtual with live pitches via Zoom
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Eligibility: Open to all college and grad students
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Teams: Students may compete individually or in teams of up to five students
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Prizes: Over $12,000 in prizes across multiple focus areas
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Duration: 24-hour competition starting at noon MT in September 2025.
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Judges: Panels include startup founders, academics, and leaders of major companies
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Innovation Incentives Winner
UC Berkeley
Presented by: Sepideh Farnia, Reily Gibson, Otis Klingbeil, and Ole Seidler
The team's solution addresses the demand-supply gap in mass timber housing, and the judges commended its thorough research for the given timeframe.
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Single Family Densification Winner
University of Utah
Presented by: Jaedon Bassett, Chris Eggert, Julia Grant, Katelyn Johnston, and Max Oelerich
The team's shared equity model using CRA funds offers a non-predatory way to finance ADUs, demonstrating a promising solution to the current funding challenges.
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Housing Safety Net Winner
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Presented by: Milan Chuttani, Zak Davidson, Hannah L. Franny Xi W., and Cherry Yang
The team's proposal combines public land, modular construction, and a community land trust to offer affordable and sustainable homeownership without additional subsidies.
What is Hack-A-House?
Hack-A-House is an annual 24-hour “hackathon” created to inspire students to develop innovative solutions for the housing affordability crisis. Participants collaborate with peers, industry experts, and competition judges to explore and address housing challenges.
Interested in participating in next year’s Hack-A-House? Sign up here for next year’s contest updates:
Partner Schools
This year we were thrilled to have 6 partner schools joining us to spread the word and further the efforts for better, more innovative and more affordable housing.
Runners Up
BlackBear
University of Maine - Innovation Incentives Runner Up
The judges appreciated the team’s focus on workforce training, public education, and using universities as economic development hubs.
TKJ Development
Single Family Densification Runner Up - University of Utah
The model aims to streamline ADU development by connecting homeowners with financing, contractors, and manufacturers.
NYLS Development
Single Family Densification Runner Up - Columbia University
The proposed model offers financing options for individual homeowners, making it easier to add density without increasing financial burdens.
Team Hero Hackers
Housing Safety Net Runner Up - California Lutheran University, Kennesaw State University, Indiana University Bloomington
The team proposed a modernized G.I. Bill with enhanced benefits, including transferability to children, to ensure affordable housing for service members and veterans.
People's Choice
City College of New York - Innovation Incentives
This team received the most votes in the People's Choice category for their solution addressing labor challenges in housing.