A third of Texas cities must update their zoning codes to comply with new housing law

Texas municipalities are now required to allow manufactured housing in at least one residential zoning district.

1 minute read

September 18, 2026, 5:00 AM PDT

By Zachary Whalen


A manufactured house on the back of a truck driving down a road.

Texas cities must also identify on their zoning maps where manufactured housing is permitted. | Volodymyr TVERDOKHLIB

Texas cities can no longer outright ban manufactured housing under a new state law, which “requires municipalities to permit manufactured housing by right in at least one residential zoning district without mandating a specific use permit,” Ryan Kushner writes for Smart Cities Dive. According to a Texas Manufactured Housing Association analysis, about a third of Texas cities must update their zoning codes to comply with the new law. 

“As rising costs push starter homes out of reach for many, manufactured housing — which can cost around $123,000 on average, according to NerdWallet — represents a more affordable option,” Smart Cities Dive reports. 

Under the new law, Texas cities must also identify on their zoning maps where manufactured housing is permitted.

Thursday, September 17, 2026 in Smart Cities Dive

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

September 16, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

Geese flock to a frozen pond in Aurora, Colorado. There are houses in the background.

Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing

The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.

September 17, 2026 - Capital & Main

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh delivers remarks at his swearing-in ceremony in the East Room of the White House.

Raised interest rates may kill financially vulnerable construction projects

The chief economist at ConstructConnect warns that if construction project owners are negatively impacted by the raised rates, it could result in delayed payments to contractors.

15 minutes ago - Construction Dive

Aerial drone picture of a massive hyperscale Google data center campus with cooling steam rising from industrial cooling systems, located along the Columbia River.

Data centers are consuming nearly 25% of Oregon’s power

The state has 111 data centers, with 32 more either planned or under construction.

1 hour ago - OPB

A manufactured house on the back of a truck driving down a road.

A third of Texas cities must update their zoning codes to comply with new housing law

Texas municipalities are now required to allow manufactured housing in at least one residential zoning district.

2 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.