Cutting the cost of housing construction is an important strategy to make housing more affordable. Creative use of technology can help reduce housing construction costs and lower the cost of homeownership. The Building Innovation for Homeownership (BIH) program, an initiative by the National Partners in Homeownership, identifies housing projects across America that employ innovative homebuilding technology, design, and development to make affordable housing and homeownership a reality.

Building Innovation for Homeownership, a publication from HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research, recognizes 63 award-winning housing projects from across the United States that meet BIH criteria. These award winners were chosen based on the ability of designers, developers, and contractors to adopt new technology when developing affordable housing projects. Costs of the homes in winning projects were below the median costs of new family housing.

Winners used a variety of innovative techniques. Twenty-four projects used factory-built components, such as manufactured housing and modular construction. Other awardees worked to promote energy efficiency, sustainable design and construction, and innovative site design. Many projects, such as Coliseum Oaks in San Antonio, Texas, combined technologies to reduce the cost of each housing unit. The builders of Coliseum Oaks used site design, energy efficiency, and modular and steel construction to develop an attractive, affordable housing community of 45 units.

Building Innovation for Homeownership provides important information for affordable housing developers. Each project profile includes pictures and descriptions of housing type, technology used, design, project size, project financing, and housing price. Contact lists accompany the profiles so practitioners can obtain more information on specific technologies and their application to affordable housing developments.