Wells Fargo Launches National Challenge to Uncover Innovative Housing Solutions

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03/18/2026 - 02:00 PM

Enterprise Community Partners to oversee Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge, awarding $10 million in grants across five organizations

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) today launched a nationwide challenge to uncover scalable, innovative housing solutions designed to help more people find homes across the country. Managed by Enterprise Community Partners, a leading national housing nonprofit, the 2026 Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge will award $10 million in grants across five organizations, along with technical assistance, one‑on‑one industry mentorship, and participation in national peer learning. Since 2019, Wells Fargo has contributed more than $53 million in philanthropic funding to support the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge. Applications open April 1, 2026, through May 15, 2026.

Wells Fargo launches national search for housing solutions (Photo: Wells Fargo)

“For most families, housing is the single biggest expense, and rising costs are making it tough to find or keep a home,” said Darlene Goins, head of Philanthropy and Community Impact at Wells Fargo. “The Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge is about surfacing creative, practical ideas from nonprofits and companies that we can scale to more people and more communities. If we’re going to expand housing access and affordability, we have to be willing to reimagine what can work.”

Since 2019, Wells Fargo & Company and the Wells Fargo Foundation have made more than $830 million in philanthropic investments nationwide to help keep people housed, expand housing inventory, and increase access to affordable homes.

The Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge aims to transform housing through innovations in design and construction, financing, and resident services. Past winners have piloted scalable modular housing systems, new underwriting models, and groundbreaking programs supporting reentry housing, tribal homeownership, and rural community development, among other efforts.

“We’re incredibly grateful for Wells Fargo’s enduring leadership in advancing housing solutions. We’ve seen firsthand how the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge can accelerate promising models that increase affordability, access, and economic opportunity,” said Shaun Donovan, Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Community Partners. “This year’s competition will support innovations across rural, urban, and tribal communities that are demonstrating tangible results and are ready to scale their impact.”

Criteria for the 2026 Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge

This year’s Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge will consider applicants proposing solutions across three categories: Design & Construction, Finance, and Service & Delivery Programs. While there is no predetermined number of winners per focus area, applicants must demonstrate existing results, an evidence base for their proposals, and a strategy to scale their innovations. Five winning organizations each will be awarded $2 million in grants. Eligibility is subject to the full criteria, which nonprofit and for-profit organizations are encouraged to review.

Find more information on the 2026 Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge and application details.

About Enterprise Community Partners

Enterprise Community Partners is a national nonprofit that exists to make a good home possible for the millions of families without one. We support community development organizations on the ground, aggregate and invest capital for impact, advance housing policy at every level of government, and build and manage communities ourselves. Since 1982, we have invested $80.9 billion and created 1 million homes across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands — all to make home and community places of pride, power, and belonging.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $2.1 trillion in assets, providing a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 33 on Fortune’s 2025 rankings of America’s largest corporations. News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wellsfargo

News Release Category: WF-PESG