CED and Affordable Housing: How Does Manufactured Housing Fit In?

<p>This headline from last week would naturally grab the attention of any CED professional: “Affordable mobile homes are disappearing in Asheville; code change could bring some back.” Housing is a basic issue for anyone interested in CED. Behind the headline are a host of issues that both foster hope in how to address affordable housing needs and the realization of the many steps it may take to get there.</p> <p>Manufactured homes are a statewide feature of North Carolina – we have more than almost any other state. According to this month’s Census Bureau data, the average cost for a new manufactured house in the southern U.S. in 2021 is $124,400 (average of single and double-wide, not including land). It’s not a surprise, then, that manufactured housing is brought up as a possible solution to the current affordable housing crisis. It is important to note that while people often use the term “mobile home” in these discussions, there is a difference – manufactured homes are distinct from mobile homes, trailers, and tiny homes in that they are constructed to meet codes and standards established under the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974.</p> <p> Several recently published studies echo the hope that manufactured housing could help relieve the housing crunch in North Carolina communities. However, the studies also try to address difficult, persistent questions about manufactured housing supply, maintenance/condition of existing manufactured homes, and financing, all of which represent significant barriers. This post will briefly summarize those studies, as well as highlight work done by researchers [...]</p>