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September 26-27, 2026 | Virtual
AI for Housing Hackathon
Build practical AI tools for one of the country's most urgent civic challenges: housing affordability.
Registration deadline: Thursday, September 24, 2026 by 11:59 PM EDT. College student and startup teams build September 26-27.
Why this matters
Turn the summit into a working floor for applied civic innovation.
Coming on the heels of AI Horizons conversations on AI-powered cities and America's housing shortage, this hackathon brings college students, startups, public-sector leaders, universities, and industry partners together around tools that can improve real lives.
Founding partners and builders will help Pittsburgh demonstrate how trusted AI can support young talent, accelerate civic problem-solving, and move public-good ideas into action.
Why you should join
Build something real, meet collaborators, and leave with a project you can show.
Resume & keyword booster
Walk away with a real-world AI project for your resume or portfolio, plus hands-on proficiency with Cursor as a developer tool.
Long-term value
Carry what you start here into course capstones, class projects, or a full startup venture.
Community & networking
Sign-ups are individual. College students and startup builders will form virtual teams of 3-5 people.
Prizes
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place college student and startup teams will share a $30,000 cash prize.
Challenge areas
Three places for builders to make the housing system easier to navigate.
Development Feasibility & Pro Forma Navigator
AI-assisted first-pass feasibility tool for parcels and proposed housing concepts, grounded in public records and approved affordability assumptions.
Learn about this challengeHousing Production, Rents & Household Flow Observatory
Interactive observatory combining administrative, market, and responsible community indicators to show housing system changes over time.
Learn about this challengeHousing Typology, Equity & Climate Matchmaker
Decision-support tool matching locations with plausible housing types and key tradeoffs across demand, transit, equity, and climate resilience.
Learn about this challengeCollege students + startups timeline
Key dates for college students + startups.
- Registration opens.
- Virtual kickoff and workshops with housing and technical experts.
- Teams build and submit AI prototypes.
- Winners announced.
Hackathon Resources
Everything college student and startup teams need before they start building.
Hackathon Packet
Packet includes
- Hackathon rules
- Team formation
- Evaluation criteria & prizes
- Detailed timeline
- Submission instructions
- Code of conduct
Our Partners
AI Strike Team has convened a cross-sector working group with policy, university, startup, and technology depth.
For college students + startups
Bring your team, pick a challenge, and build something people can actually use.
The strongest submissions will be practical, source-grounded, and clear about who they help: developers, nonprofits, public agencies, community partners, or households trying to understand the housing landscape.
Register nowQuick details
What college students and startups need to know.
Who should participate?
College students, startup builders, civic technologists, designers, policy thinkers, and people who want to apply AI to housing affordability.
What will college student and startup teams build?
Working AI prototypes aligned to one of the three housing challenge areas, with guidance from subject-matter experts and mentors.
What do winners receive?
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place college student and startup teams will share a $30,000 cash prize, plus public recognition and visibility across the AI Horizons and partner network.
Where do I register?
Use the Register buttons on this page to open the official Google Form.