Canvas reposted this
Affordable housing is one of our our nation’s most critical challenges, impacting the financial health and quality of life for millions across the US. On Friday, I had the honor of joining experts and leaders driving change at the Ivory Prize Housing Innovation Summit. This inspiring group of innovators shares a collective vision for the future, where home ownership is accessible and serves as the backbone of stable and thriving lives for all. Canvas was selected by Ivory Innovations as one of the top eleven companies supporting the affordable housing movement in 2024. This recognition reaffirms our commitment of leveraging robotics to make building construction more efficient, while improving the conditions for those creating them. While I usually focus on the mechanics of how physical work gets done, it was incredibly refreshing to take a step back and gain a broader perspective on how new innovations are disrupting the entire value chain. Many of my peers were not only tackling construction-related problems, but also critical issues in home financing, permit regulation, housing policy, and workforce training. And these solutions are not just the future - they are here today. From a government-operated Housing Building Fund in Maryland to streamlined ADU incentives in California, these incredible people are hyper-focused on driving impact now. I’d like to congratulate the other ten finalists for their achievements thus far (Capsul, On3, Villa Homes, Foyer, HIAS, HON Partners, MONTGOMERY COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY, The City of San Diego, Compass Working Capital, and FirstRepair), and wish them many more to come. Here are some key takeaways that really stuck with me: - Home ownership is one of the largest levers for wealth creation that only a subset of Americans have access to - Supporting people to invest their capital in home ownership also drives investment in local businesses, further strengthening communities and creating opportunities - Home ownership, by improving individual livelihoods, also makes us economically stronger as a nation Thank you to Ivory Innovations for bringing us together to make a real difference. If we can collectively learn to build better, we can enable everyone to live better.