WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has unveiled a new action plan aimed at modernizing the federal framework for manufactured housing and encouraging innovation in factory-built homes.
The Next Generation Manufactured Housing Action Plan follows HUD’s sixth annual Innovative Housing Showcase and outlines the department’s plans to update codes, guidance and construction pathways for the next generation of affordable manufactured housing.
The initiative comes 50 years after the creation of the Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards, commonly known as the HUD Code, which established a national framework for the design and construction of manufactured homes.
HUD said a major catalyst for the new initiative is the recent removal of the longstanding permanent chassis requirement under the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The change opens the door for new approaches to designing, transporting and assembling manufactured homes.
“For 50 years, the HUD Code has provided a national framework for safe, quality, affordable housing,” said HUD Secretary Turner. “Now, HUD is building on that foundation to expand innovation in design and construction for the next generation of manufactured homes to unleash the American Dream for even more families.”
Chassis-Free Construction Opens New Possibilities
The elimination of the permanent chassis requirement represents a significant change to the federal manufactured housing framework. HUD officials said it could allow manufacturers and builders to explore housing designs that more closely resemble other forms of residential construction while retaining the advantages of factory production.
“Removing the permanent chassis requirement is more than a technical change,” said Joe Gormley, who oversees HUD’s Office of Housing and FHA. “It creates an opportunity to reconsider how manufactured homes are designed, transported, assembled, and regulated, so we can increase supply for first-time homebuyers.”
The new action plan outlines several areas where HUD intends to update the federal manufactured housing system.
Among its priorities, HUD plans to update energy-efficiency standards for manufactured homes and address design and construction barriers associated with homes built without permanent chassis.
The department also plans to establish approaches for foundation, anchoring and installation requirements for chassis-free homes, with the goal of maintaining safety while allowing greater flexibility in design.
Exploring New Factory-Built Housing Types
HUD’s plan also calls for the creation of new construction pathways that can accommodate innovative housing types within the federal manufactured housing regulatory framework.
The initiative is intended to explore designs that can be realistically produced in factories while expanding the range of affordable housing options available to consumers.
HUD also plans to develop a performance-based code for larger-scale buildings. The effort will examine whether a federal construction and safety framework could be developed for larger factory-built residential structures.
Another component will focus on providing resources for stakeholders involved in early chassis-free housing projects. Those resources are expected to address issues including design, transportation, foundations, installation, zoning, appraisal, lending, insurance and market acceptance.
Expanding the Manufactured Housing Industry
HUD said the action plan will also seek to bring more manufacturers into the federal system. The department plans to provide resources for existing modular and other off-site construction manufacturers that comply with federal requirements, potentially allowing more companies to participate in producing factory-built housing.
The effort comes as policymakers, builders and housing organizations continue to look for ways to increase housing supply and reduce construction costs.
Factory-built housing has long been viewed as one potential tool for addressing housing affordability because components can be produced in controlled environments and assembled more efficiently than some traditional construction methods.
HUD’s action plan seeks to preserve the safety and consistency provided by the federal manufactured housing system while creating greater flexibility for new technologies, designs and construction approaches.
The department said the initiative is intended to maintain the core strengths of the HUD Code while opening the door to what it describes as the next generation of factory-built housing.
