40 Years Ago: Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act Passed (National Low Income Housing Coalition)

National Low Income Housing Coalition
(6/30/2014 1:16 PM, NLIHC)

For decades, manufactured homes (often called mobile homes) have been a source of affordable housing for low income families in communities across the country. Today, more than 17 million people live in manufactured homes.

Prior to 1974, there was no motivation to standardize manufactured home construction quality. Swift construction of mass-produced homes left quite a bit of room for poorly constructed structures built with little to no insulation, thin roofs and walls, poor windows, and inefficient heating and cooling equipment. They often leaked during bad weather.

Recognizing the need to standardize manufactured home construction, Congress passed the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act in 1974. Consequently, manufacturers had to revise manufacturing practices in order to meet or exceed codes established by HUD in 1976 and significantly upgraded in 1994. The HUD codes set standards for heating, plumbing, ventilation, air conditioning and electrical systems, design, construction, transportation, energy efficiency, wind resistance, and fire safety.