Contest 2025-2026
Latin America and the Caribbean are at a defining moment: millions of families face precarious living conditions while climate pressures, demographic shifts, and urban challenges demand new approaches to housing and territory.
In response, the Inspiring Practices Contest 2025–2026 recognizes those who are already building innovative, inclusive, and resilient solutions from their communities, organizations, institutions, and local contexts.
What are we looking for?
We seek to recognize initiatives that respond effectively and transformatively to the region’s contemporary habitat challenges, particularly those that:
- Address emerging socio-demographic configurations (low-income female-headed households, youth disconnected from education or employment, older adults in vulnerable situations, migrants and displaced populations, diverse households and new family models, low-income communities, and residents of informal or high-vulnerability settlements, among others).
- Promote equitable access to adequate housing and integrated urban services.
- Link housing solutions with broader urban systems: planning, mobility, care, governance, sustainability, and climate adaptation and mitigation.
- Incorporate social, technological, financial, or institutional innovation approaches. Demonstrate territorial impact, scalability, and long-term sustainability.
What type of initiatives?
Eligible applicants must include:
- National governments, agencies, and public enterprises at the national level; associations of public institutions or national-level government consortia. Subnational governments (regional, federal, district, metropolitan, municipal, etc.), their agencies and public enterprises, associations of public institutions, or subnational government consortia.
- Social and community organizations; academic institutions and research centers; foundations and nonprofit corporations; consultancies and private companies; multilateral organizations.
- Established and emerging companies (startups, scaleups, corporations), financial entities, entrepreneurs, and public and private technological innovation institutions and agencies.
Contest Categories
Promotes innovative housing solutions—technological, construction-based, and architectural—that reduce costs and access barriers for vulnerable populations through efficient, sustainable, and affordable models of housing design and production.
Supports initiatives that connect housing with essential urban services and infrastructure—water, sanitation, energy, mobility, care systems, and community facilities—through plans and solutions that enhance collective well-being and quality of life across territories.
Promotes solutions that strengthen urban and housing resilience to climate change—from green infrastructure and climate-adapted construction techniques to territorial strategies that reduce physical, social, and environmental vulnerabilities—ensuring safer and more sustainable settlements.
Advances innovative financial solutions—from microcredits and fintech tools to cooperative funds and scalable investment models—that expand access to housing and strengthen the economic inclusion of vulnerable households, focusing on replicable financing mechanisms rather than technical or urbanistic aspects.
Promotes digital and technological solutions—from management and monitoring platforms to participatory tools and smart systems—that transform the planning, access, and governance of habitat, placing technological innovation at the center and excluding physical construction or direct financing.
Innovation in Affordable Housing (technological, construction, and architectural)
Application FormIntegrated Urban Services
Application FormClimate Adaptation and Urban Resilience
Application FormFinancial Innovation and Scaling Models
Application FormDigital Transformation and Technology for Housing and Habitat
Application FormAll submissions for this competition must be sent by
March 13, 2026, at 11:59:59 PM (Central America Time)
Contest Timeline
| Start | End | |
|---|---|---|
| Application Period | December 15, 2025 | March 13, 2026 |
| Eligibility Review | March 16, 2026 | March 17, 2026 |
| Expert Jury Evaluation | March 18, 2026 | April 1, 2026 |
| Announcement of the 15 Winning Inspiring Practices | April 3, 2026 |
Prizes & Recognitions
All eligible submitted practices will become part of the UHPH Resource Library.
The 15 practices selected as winners (3 per category) will receive the following recognitions:
- Presentation of the winning experience in an international webinar organized by UHPH.
- Featured publication on the UHPH digital platform.
- A designed spotlight profile to be included in the UHPH Resource Library.
An additional award will be granted to the first-place winner in each category:
- Travel and accommodation for one representative to attend a recognition and awards ceremony during WUF13.
- Presentation of the winning practice and recognition at a regional or international event organized by UHPH partners.
- Access to mentorship and/or an acceleration program.