244: Scaling Housing Innovation: A Systems Approach to Evaluating What Works

Scaling innovative solutions in affordable housing requires evaluators to move beyond discrete program outcomes and toward assessing systemic enablers of replication and adoption. This poster presents findings from the evaluation of the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge (HABC), a national initiative led by Enterprise Community Partners and the Wells Fargo Foundation, which supports innovative, equity-focused housing models. Using a systems lens and guided by developmental evaluation principles (Patton, 2011), the evaluation examined how grantees navigated policy, funding, and cross-sector collaboration in their scaling efforts. Through interviews, document analysis, and co-learning sessions, the evaluation identified leverage points and contextual factors influencing innovation success. This work demonstrates how evaluation can facilitate shared leadership, reveal conditions under which housing innovation can thrive, and support broader systems transformation. The poster shares practical strategies and implications for evaluators seeking to assess systems change in complex, equity-driven innovation environments.

Nicole Williams