As the housing affordability and supply challenge grows ever more urgent, artificial intelligence is emerging not just as a buzzword but as a transformative force in how we plan, build, and operate communities. This panel brings together three cutting-edge practitioners to explore how AI is reshaping different stages of the housing development lifecycle. But, as the panel will explore, technology alone is not enough — success depends on operational discipline, quality data, cross-organizational alignment, and a clear understanding of where AI adds the greatest value.

Offsite construction has the potential to produce high-quality homes that sell or rent at prices affordable to moderate-income households without a subsidy. Hear from two nonprofit practitioners and a state government official about how they are using offsite construction to achieve this goal and working to scale-up their efforts to expand their impact. The session will discuss a range of production methods but focus in particular on single-family manufactured homes (i.e., conform to the HUD Code) with added site-built features, including a pitched roof and a site-built garage and porch, that make them look and feel very similar to site-built homes. These include homes that meet the CrossMod and Next Step standards.

This session showcases three innovative housing projects that advance both sustainability and affordability, creating resilient homes for the future. Featured examples include net-zero single-family homes in Northeast Baltimore, the world’s largest affordable residential Passive House building, serving 700+ families in East Harlem, and a compelling New York model that merges affordable senior housing, Passive House standards, and modular construction. Each case study demonstrates how design, mission-driven partnerships, and sustainability intersect to deliver lasting impact. Hear from project leads about the challenges they overcame and the opportunities ahead for achieving dual goals of affordability and sustainability.