NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Safehold Inc. (NYSE:SAFE), the creator and leader of the modern ground lease industry, has been selected as a finalist for the 2026 Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability, which recognizes organizations driving high-impact innovation in the affordable housing market across finance, construction and policy.

"We're proud to be part of the solution to address the considerable unmet demand for affordable housing," said Steve Wylder, Safehold's Head of Investments. "Housing affordability is a challenging issue, especially as elevated interest rates and construction costs put added pressure on developers. Safehold's ground lease capital has proven very useful in bridging capital structure gaps and moving projects forward."

The Ivory Prize is an annual award recognizing innovative, feasible and scalable solutions to advance U.S. housing affordability.

"There is no silver bullet for our nation's housing crisis, but this year's Ivory Prize finalists are delivering proven solutions to the diverse set of challenges that keep costs high," said Chad Reed, Vice President of Programs and Strategy at Ivory Innovations. "In a fragmented, risk-averse housing industry, the Ivory Prize exists to elevate what works so others can learn from these great solutions and examples and replicate them at scale."

Safehold established a dedicated Affordable Housing team in 2025 with the goal of expanding its investment into the sector. Additional information is available at www.safeholdaffordablehousing.com.

About Safehold:

Safehold Inc. (NYSE:SAFE) is revolutionizing real estate ownership by providing a new and better way for owners to unlock the value of the land beneath their buildings. Having created the modern ground lease industry in 2017, Safehold continues to help owners of high quality multifamily, affordable housing, office, industrial, hospitality, student housing, life science and mixed-use properties generate higher returns with less risk. The Company, which is taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT), seeks to deliver safe, growing income and long-term capital appreciation to its shareholders. Additional information on Safehold is available on its website at www.safeholdinc.com.

Investments Contact:

Steve Wylder

Head of Investments

T: 310.315.5566

E: swylder@safeholdinc.com

IR Contact:

Pearse Hoffmann

SVP, Head of Corporate Finance

T: 212.930.9400

E: investors@safeholdinc.com

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SOURCE Safehold

Safehold Named 2026 Ivory Prize Finalist for Affordable Housing Innovation