Child-Friendly Housing Design Challenge
The City of Boston Child-Friendly Housing Design Challenge is now accepting submissions! Submit your child-friendly housing design for a chance to win $10,000 and a feature in the City’s design library.
The challenge will be accepting submissions until November 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
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26 Court StreetBoston, MA 02108
About the Challenge
The Child-Friendly Housing Design Challenge is an initiative led by the Housing Innovation Lab. It provides developers, builders, and property owners with free access to high-quality, small-scale conceptual housing designs that are responsive to the needs of families with children in Boston.
To build this design library, the City is calling for submissions from architects, builders, designers, contractors, and design-build partnerships practicing in Massachusetts. All designs that meet minimum eligibility criteria will be included in the collection, and winning teams for each site will be awarded $10,000.
For the purposes of this challenge, “child-friendly” means housing that has
- two or more bedrooms in each unit,
- laundry facilities in the building,
- easy access to parking/transit, and
- safe, visible spaces for children to play.
More Information
The Housing Innovation Lab will host two optional, virtual information sessions on September 30, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. and October 1, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. Interested participants are encouraged to bring their questions.
Advanced registration is required. Please register by 9 a.m. on September 30, 2026 and we will send you the link to join the meeting.
Background
In March 2026, the Housing Innovation Lab surveyed over 416 Bostonians that live with school-aged children to learn about their housing needs and preferences. We heard that families need homes that can change as they do – for example, a home with a den that functions first as a play room, and eventually becomes an additional bedroom. We also learned that easy access to laundry, parking, transit, and visible outdoor spaces for children to play are high on the list of priorities for families.
At the same time, as part of the City’s Neighborhood Housing Zoning Initiative, the Planning Department is proposing changes to the zoning code to allow for new homes to be built in residential areas of neighborhoods with the City’s largest lots. Beginning in Hyde Park, Roslindale, and West Roxbury, these new homes are proposed to take the form of small-scale, multifamily structures — akin to Boston’s iconic triple decker. This initiative will add “gentle density” to neighborhoods without drastically changing their character. The proposed changes will also make it easier for property owners to make changes to existing structures, such as adding dormers to an attic, building an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in a back or side yard, or expanding or reconfiguring rooms to create more livable space.
The Child-Friendly Housing Design Challenge is the latest effort to make it easier for Boston families to access housing that meets their needs.
Who's Involved:
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26 Court Street
Boston, MA 02108
