Regulating Manufactured Housing

Since the 1976 enactment of the HUD code, manufactured housing has become a viable alternative to more costly, site-built homes. The quality of these residences continues to improve until now they are almost indistinguishable from many site-built units. Yet many communities still exclude manufactured housing from the regular pool of housing stock. This guide looks at the advances in manufactured housing and tries to explain community attitudes. Regulating Manufactured Housing argues for land development provisions that allow HUD code homes to be placed in residential neighborhoods. It examines key regulatory issues—such as appearance standards, location restrictions, and installation requirements—and looks at 20 communities that have crafted standards to allow manufactured housing developments. The report also shows how to draft regulations for such developments.