States and localities can undertake a broad range of policy and administrative initiatives to support housing affordability. These can take the form of regulatory or administrative changes such as higher densities and waivers of fees, or trust funds and programs that provide grants or financing assistance.

The Robert C. Larson Awards, named in honor of a former ULI trustee and ULI Foundation chairman, recognize innovative state and local policy initiatives that support the creation and preservation of affordable and workforce housing, specifically housing affordable to households earning at or below 120 percent of area median income (AMI). Learn more about the previous winners and finalists.

2021 Application Window Now Closed

The 2021 application is now closed. Interested applicants for the 2022 awards program should read the eligibility and criteria of the award and revisit this page in October 2021 when we will reopen the application window.

2021 Awards Timeline:

• Application Deadline: April 2021
• Jury Review of Applicants: April – May 2021
• Jury Meeting and 2nd Review: June 2021
• Finalists Announced: June 2021
• Virtual Site Visits: July – August 2021
• Final Jury Meeting: August 2021
• Winners Contacted: September 2021
• Winners Announced: October 2021 (at ULI’s Fall Meeting)

2020 Winners and Finalists

The Terwilliger Center is pleased to announce the 2020 Robert C. Larson Housing Policy Leadership Award Winner. Congratulations to the Town of Vail/Vail Local Housing Authority’s Vail InDEED program.

To learn more about the winners of this year’s Housing Awards, please check out our 2020 Housing Awards video.

The 2020 Larson award finalists are:

• Massachusetts Housing Partnership’s Community Technical Assistance program
• Houston, Texas, Housing and Community Development Department’s Multifamily Program Equitable Distribution Policy
• City of Tempe, Arizona, Human Services – Housing Services Department’s Affordable and Workforce Housing Strategies