Manufactured housing builders must balance affordability with the need to protect housing against extreme weather events.
A valuable source of affordable housing in the United States is also one of the most vulnerable housing types to climate hazards. Over 5 million manufactured housing units are located in areas exposed to climate hazards, and are often in communities with limited resources for recovery.
According to a report from the Urban Institute, “By prioritizing climate safety, policymakers can improve housing security for the 18 million Americans living in manufactured housing today and unlock changes that will improve the resilience of future manufactured homes.”
The report highlights key policy changes that the federal government could make to reduce barriers to resilience-building, including “strengthening HUD standards to improve energy efficiency and climate resilience; supporting the repair and replacement of older homes; expanding access to financing and federal programs for residents to make home resilience upgrades and recover from disasters; addressing land-use and zoning barriers that limit the placement of manufactured housing in safe and accessible locations; and increasing data and research investments to address gaps in knowledge around manufactured housing and manufactured home communities.”
Read the full story: Building a Climate-Resilient Manufactured Housing Stock
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