At a time when RV jobs are declining, another big export from the Elkhart area, manufactured housing, is getting a boost from Washington.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sent some high-ranking officials to Elkhart Wednesday for a national meeting of manufactured housing industry leaders.
They also came to break some news. HUD, recognizing the nation’s affordable housing crisis, is making the biggest changes in manufacturing housing rules in three decades. They include 90 new standards aimed at giving manufactured housing consumers the features they’re looking for, like open floor plans, ridge roof designs and attics.
Perhaps the biggest change will allow multi-family manufactured housing, especially duplexes, with up to four units in the same building.
On Wednesday and Thursday HUD’s Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee is meeting at Hotel Elkhart. Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon.
"This is a real milestone today," Gordon said. "And I can't think of a better place to announce this than in Elkhart, home of the Manufactured Housing and RV Hall of Fame."
Gordon said traditional site-built homes, aside from being too expensive for many young adults, take too long to build. She’s traveled the country touring manufactured housing plants and come away impressed with their speed and efficiency.
"This one particular place where we were, they were producing six to eight homes a day. That's the pace we need to be working to close the supply gap that we see for affordable housing right now."
