Thousands Witness Housing Innovation on the Nation's Front Lawn

Housing Affordability
Published

The inaugural Innovative Housing Showcase drew more than 5,000 people June 1-5 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Co-hosted by NAHB and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Showcase featured state-of-the-art building technologies and housing solutions that can make homeownership more affordable for American families, and homes more resilient during natural disasters.

The 12 exhibitors included prototype homes displaying innovative building technologies that address affordability and resiliency.

"This week thousands of people got to experience firsthand the latest innovations in our industry and how this technology will help make housing more affordable in all of our communities," said NAHB Chairman Greg Ugalde, who spoke on the opening day of the event.

"This is an historic event," remarked HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson. "It's the first time we've had a housing showcase like this on the Mall. It's so timely because affordable housing is a gigantic issue for millions of families across our nation."

The Showcase included panel discussions and on-stage interviews with Administration leaders, members of Congress, and leaders in the housing industry.

Check out highlights of the five-day event in this video:

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Land Development | Advocacy
Aug 14, 2026
Key Land-Use and Zoning Provisions in Landmark Housing Law

The newly enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop voluntary federal guidelines for state and local zoning best practices. Although not mandatory, the guidelines will help shape how communities are evaluated for federal grants and give states a model for developing their own enabling legislation.

Economics
Aug 13, 2026
Construction Employment Rises Amid a Cooling Labor Market

The overall labor market continued to lose momentum in July, with nonfarm payrolls falling by 23,000 and previous job gains revised sharply lower.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics
Aug 13, 2026
Building Material Prices Show Growth In July

Residential building material prices, excluding energy, rose 0.4% in July and were up 5.0% from a year ago. Energy prices fell again in July but remained significantly higher than a year ago. Meanwhile, prices for services were down 0.3% over the month but were 6.2% higher than a year ago.

Economics
Aug 13, 2026
Homeownership Rate Edges Down to 65%

The latest homeownership rate declined to 65% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census’s Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS). The homeownership rate was unchanged from a year ago, and not statistically different than the rate in the first quarter of the year (65.3%).

Economics
Aug 12, 2026
Inflation Eased Slightly in July

Led by declines in gasoline and diesel prices, inflation eased for the second consecutive month after reaching a three-year high in May. As energy prices moderated, shelter resumed its role as the largest driver of headline inflation, accounting for one-third of the annual increase and over two-thirds of the monthly increase.