THE IVORY NETWORK
Shining a light on housing solutions across the country
At Ivory Innovations, we help make housing more affordable by sourcing the most compelling solutions in the industry and bridging the gap between ideas and impact.
By connecting with the most innovative organizations working on housing affordability, we have cultivated a nationwide network of trusted on-the-ground partners. Below we highlight five who most closely align to solutions for the challenges described in The Little Book.
To explore further, see our Housing Innovations Database or learn more about The Ivory Prize, which identifies and elevates promising solutions to housing affordability through national recognition, funding, and ongoing support.
Recommended Partners
Infilla can help streamline the development approval process.
Infilla is an AI-native platform modernizing permitting and entitlements for local and state government. Their software tools eliminate administrative bottlenecks, improve transparency, and get projects to approval faster.
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Searchable Planning Knowledge Base that centralizes zoning and policy guidance
Digital Fee Calculator that computes jurisdictional-specific permit and entitlement fees automatically
Guided Intake to ensure applicants upload all required materials upfront
Plan Checklist to standardize review and reduce revision cycles
Permitting System that routes reviews, tracks status, and keeps applicants updated
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30-40 hours saved per week in staff time
45% increase in completed initial applications
Smoother onboarding and streamlined work-flows for planning staff = happy planners!
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Infilla has partnered with the State of Delaware, San Francisco Planning, Sonoma County, CA, El Segundo, CA, Tulare County, CA, Richmond, CA, Mountain View, CA, and the NYC Department of Building via the Buildings Tech Lab.
Incremental Design Alliance can help simplify the design process.
Incremental Development Alliance (IncDev) trains small-scale developers and civic leaders to take on small, practical development projects in their communities (think: duplexes, main street buildings, and rehabs) and supports communities to make that work easier.
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Searchable Planning Knowledge Base that centralizes zoning and policy guidance
Digital Fee Calculator that computes jurisdictional-specific permit and entitlement fees automatically
Guided Intake to ensure applicants upload all required materials upfront
Plan Checklist to standardize review and reduce revision cycles
Permitting System that routes reviews, tracks status, and keeps applicants updated
-
30-40 hours saved per week in staff time
45% increase in completed initial applications
Smoother onboarding and streamlined work-flows for planning staff = happy planners!
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Infilla has partnered with the State of Delaware, San Francisco Planning, Sonoma County, CA, El Segundo, CA, Tulare County, CA, Richmond, CA, Mountain View, CA, and the NYC Department of Building via the Buildings Tech Lab.
Frolic is a mission-driven real estate developer building cooperative housing communities using infill.
Frolic helps single-family homeowners transform their upzoned lots into small multi-family housing communities, creating affordable homeownership options while preventing displacement. Homes are accessible to low-wealth, middle-income families, widening the buyer pool and making starter-home production easier at scale , nationwide.
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Searchable Planning Knowledge Base that centralizes zoning and policy guidance
Digital Fee Calculator that computes jurisdictional-specific permit and entitlement fees automatically
Guided Intake to ensure applicants upload all required materials upfront
Plan Checklist to standardize review and reduce revision cycles
Permitting System that routes reviews, tracks status, and keeps applicants updated
-
30-40 hours saved per week in staff time
45% increase in completed initial applications
Smoother onboarding and streamlined work-flows for planning staff = happy planners!
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Infilla has partnered with the State of Delaware, San Francisco Planning, Sonoma County, CA, El Segundo, CA, Tulare County, CA, Richmond, CA, Mountain View, CA, and the NYC Department of Building via the Buildings Tech Lab.
NZA allows users to see how zoning laws impact local housing.
NZA arms advocates and policymakers with the data they need to make the case for reform. Covering two thirds of the country’s land area and population, this online tool allows users to see how zoning laws impact housing in their communities.
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Searchable Planning Knowledge Base that centralizes zoning and policy guidance
Digital Fee Calculator that computes jurisdictional-specific permit and entitlement fees automatically
Guided Intake to ensure applicants upload all required materials upfront
Plan Checklist to standardize review and reduce revision cycles
Permitting System that routes reviews, tracks status, and keeps applicants updated
-
30-40 hours saved per week in staff time
45% increase in completed initial applications
Smoother onboarding and streamlined work-flows for planning staff = happy planners!
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Infilla has partnered with the State of Delaware, San Francisco Planning, Sonoma County, CA, El Segundo, CA, Tulare County, CA, Richmond, CA, Mountain View, CA, and the NYC Department of Building via the Buildings Tech Lab.
Cleveland’s modular testbed is lowering the risk of offsite construction.
Cleveland, OH, is using its Housing Innovation District as a live testbed for offsite construction, pairing a modular manufacturer pilot with pre-approved plans and pre-funded site prep to cut the cost and risk of building offsite in a legacy market.
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Searchable Planning Knowledge Base that centralizes zoning and policy guidance
Digital Fee Calculator that computes jurisdictional-specific permit and entitlement fees automatically
Guided Intake to ensure applicants upload all required materials upfront
Plan Checklist to standardize review and reduce revision cycles
Permitting System that routes reviews, tracks status, and keeps applicants updated
-
30-40 hours saved per week in staff time
45% increase in completed initial applications
Smoother onboarding and streamlined work-flows for planning staff = happy planners!
-
Infilla has partnered with the State of Delaware, San Francisco Planning, Sonoma County, CA, El Segundo, CA, Tulare County, CA, Richmond, CA, Mountain View, CA, and the NYC Department of Building via the Buildings Tech Lab.