HUD’s big plans for manufactured housing revealed

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is weighing a number of changes to its manufactured housing program as it looks to it as a key solution to addressing the nation’s housing shortage quickly.

Government officials, including the heads of Ginnie Mae and the Federal Housing Administration, outlined potential improvements under consideration, including updates to the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (aka HUD’s code), during a manufactured housing roundtable Thursday.

Regarding the HUD code, which was established in 1976, Frank Cassidy, the de facto FHA commissioner, told an audience packed with mortgage lenders that there are plans to eliminate the chassis requirement for manufactured homes. Currently, HUD requires manufactured homes to be constructed with a…