Guide to Foundation and Support Systems for Manufactured Homes (March 2002, 112 p.)
For several decades, manufactured homes built to the preemptive Federal Manufactured
Home Construction and Safety Standards have been the nation's
foremost source of unsubsidized affordable housing. Until relatively
recently, the majority of manufactured homes were economical
single section designs, financed with asset-backed loans, sold
most often to first-time home buyers and seniors and located
in suburban and rural settings. Manufactured homes were also
distinguished from their site-built counterparts in the way
they were secured to the ground - the majority held in place
by pier and anchor systems.
Within the past five years, the manufactured housing industry has experienced
an evolution, and the rate of change appears to be accelerating.
Sales of multisection homes have well outpaced single section
designs, the popularity of land/home financing continues to
grow, the buyer demographics are diversifying, and new markets
are opening to manufactured homes, particularly in urban infill
and higher density areas.
Homes built in compliance with the HUD standards are entering the portfolios
of developers who have historically used site-building methods
exclusively. The economics of building homes in a factory
under a single national code has long been attractive. But
only in the last few years has the vision of manufactured
homes as a technology for supplying a wider range of affordable
housing needs begun to be realized.
The changes in the manufactured housing market, the evolution of the industry
itself and the diversification of the potential customers
for manufactured homes are ushering in a host of innovations
and changes to the industry's core product. No area is more
affected by these changes than the methods for supporting
and fastening the home to the ground.
This guide serves several functions. First, it helps decision
makers in forming a strategy for sorting through foundation
and support system alternatives and describes factors that
affect the design and construction process. Second, it exposes
the manufactured housing industry, buyers of manufactured
homes and others interested in HUD-code housing to some of
the more popular and practical ways of designing and installing
manufactured home foundation or support systems. These designs
are springboards for exploring alternative design approaches
and solutions. Lastly, through the use of case studies, the
guide examines how some Rractitioners are already pursuing
new foundation and support system methods, hinting at the
wealth and diversity of foundation solutions yet to come.
|
| 
