Evidence Matters: Winter/Spring 2020

June 11, 2020  

Evidence Matters: Winter/Spring 2020

The Winter/Spring 2020 issue of Evidence Matters: Transforming Knowledge Into Housing and Community Development Policy, which focuses on factory-built housing, is now available. This issue examines the benefits of and challenges to factory-built housing; offers suggestions for overcoming those barriers; explores the market forces that may encourage growth in the industry; and dives into programs and laws in Vermont and Oregon intended to overcome some of the industry's challenges.

Key Findings:

• Federal, state, and local governments can take steps to mitigate the demand, regulatory, and financing barriers that have prevented wider adoption of factory-built housing.

• While manufactured housing is the largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing in the United States, increasing the supply of other factory-built housing could similarly help address ongoing challenges to housing affordability.

• Market pressures from increased land and labor costs could potentially lead to wider use of factory-built components, along with improvements in the quality, design, and cost-effectiveness of factory-built housing.

• State laws and programs can help make housing tenure for residents in manufactured home parks more stable.

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