The Biden Administration announced it is taking immediate steps to increase affordable housing supply across the country including specific actions to boost the supply of manufactured housing. Specifically, the Administration is looking to expand financing for manufactured housing and is calling on state and local governments to reduce zoning and financing barriers to manufactured housing which “allows families to achieve homeownership and build wealth.” In outlining its planned activities, manufactured housing was the second action listed demonstrating the Administration’s prioritization and commitment to manufactured housing. Click here to read more.
During a call with HUD, FHFA, and Treasury, senior agency officials expanded on the Administration’s plans and stated that manufactured housing is a key area they are focused on to help address the shortage of affordable housing. Lopa Kolluri, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Housing and the Federal Housing Administration at HUD, reiterated that manufactured housing is a high priority for HUD and the Department recognizes they need to be doing more to increase financing and are currently working on updating the FHA Title I Handbook and adjusting Title I loan limits. In remarks to Maria Hernandez, FHFA’s Senior Associate Director, Office of Housing and Regulatory Policy, MHI continued to stress that Duty to Serve is critical to ensuring that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are adequately supporting financing for manufactured housing.
Arguing that one of the most persistent factors hindering the supply of affordable housing is state and local exclusionary zoning laws and practices, the Administration is calling on state and local governments to take action to address zoning policies that have “historically locked families out of communities and continue to limit housing supply.” In its plans the Administration references “minimum lot size requirements, minimum square footage requirements, unnecessary parking requirements, prohibitions on or differing treatment for multi-family homes, accessory dwelling units, and manufactured housing, and limits on the height of buildings” as examples of exclusionary zoning practices that state and local governments utilize.
Further, as part of today’s actions, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced it is authorizing Freddie Mac to accept eligible single section manufactured housing loan deliveries, which Fannie Mae has been accepting since 2020. In describing an eligible manufactured home, the Administration states that our homes are “equivalent in quality and amenities to entry level stick-built housing.”
As part of MHI’s ongoing efforts to ensure manufactured housing remains a priority for the Administration, MHI continues to hold meetings with senior Administration officials to demonstrate how manufactured housing can help address the affordable housing shortage in the country. Today’s actions by the Administration are a direct result of MHI’s ongoing strong advocacy efforts.
Check out this video of the White House Press briefing from Wednesday, September 1, 2021, where White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, specifically mentions boosting the supply of manufactured housing.