Impact of Regulatory Barriers on Manufactured Housing Placement

Manufactured housing is an option little used in metropolitan communities, although it appears to provide a number of quality and cost advantages over conventionally built housing. HUD’s Office of Policy Development & Research has commissioned a study that examines the scope and role of local regulatory practices in limiting the placement of HUD-Code manufactured homes in urban communities.

The resulting report, Regulatory Barriers to Manufactured Housing Placement in Urban Communities, includes an empirical analysis of state statutes and local community regulations, particularly as they affect implementation and influence on manufactured housing supply, plus four case studies in urban communities with experience in regulatory reform and placement of manufactured housing. The analysis finds that the key barriers to placement of manufactured housing are regulatory, with permitting requirements, fire codes, zoning codes, subdivision regulations, and architectural design standards all impeding placement. Market factors such as land cost, population density, median family income, or proximity to manufactured housing production facilities are also significant.