The 2026 Housing Design Awards are now open!

As a champion of the HAPPI category, we are pleased to advise the annual Housing Design Awards are now open for their 78th year!

Chaired by the government chief planner, Joanne Averley, the awards are a unique partnership of statutory and professional bodies, key stakeholders, social enterprises and knowledge centres (such as the Housing LIN), combining to celebrate the best of design, construction, planning, procurement, and environmental practice. The categories include specialist themes that Housing LIN members will find of particular interest. Namely, one on HAPPI and the other on Healthy Homes. 

Submissions to can be made for both schemes built and at least partially occupied (for a Completed Scheme Award) and for scheme which have received full planning approval but are not yet ready to be visited by judges (a Project Award). The deadline for submissions is 6th March 2026.

In 2025, we were pleased to report that two schemes showcased by the Housing LIN received national acclaim. Bridport Cohousing scheme, Hazelmead, won the Healthy Homes category and was the overall Housing Design Awards (HDA) winner. Find out more about this sustainable development in our case study. And, last year, the HAPPI category was won for a supported housing scheme, Englishcombe Lane in Bath, as featured in our HAPPI Hour webinar. 

Lastly, the overall winner and HAPPI category winner at the 2024 HDA, United St Saviours Charity’s Appleby Blue, went on to win last year’s Stirling Prize. What an inspirational achievement for our sector.

Judges will select a shortlist on 19th March and visit schemes over 4 days on 21-22nd April and 12-13th May. Presentation will be during the first weeks of parliament in September , where winners will be showcased in a mix of films and detailed citations.