Texas City Council Solution to Affordable Housing? Manufactured Homes!
The City of Corpus Christi in the great state of Texas is just one of hundreds of municipalities across the nation that are for the first time realizing today’s modern manufactured homes and modular homes are the only sensible solution to their lack of affordable housing.
On Tuesday, the Corpus Christi City Council meet and discussed whether manufactured homes can be a viable option for an affordable residential development in single-family zoning districts, reported both KIII News 3 and KRIS-TV 6. In that regard, the City Council is considering a possible solution to the Corpus Christi affordable housing crisis — through prefabricated homes. The council heard a presentation from a landowner who wants a zoning change to allow for manufactured housing on some vacant lots in a Corpus Christi neighborhood. Andy Taubman, who chaired the City’s ad hoc Streets Committee, said the biggest misconception is that the homes are unattractive. Dispelling such notions, Taubman showed city policymakers some pictures and a floor plan of the proposed manufactured homes.
Texas Affordable Housing
Today’s Modern Manufactured Homes
Many spoke at the public comment both for and against the idea, which could make its debut in Flour Bluff. The City Council has been trying to find solutions to the lack of affordable housing in Corpus Christi, and Taubman said these manufactured homes could eventually replace some small pier and beam houses in disrepair without impacting neighborhood property values..* The council also discussed whether the difference in the quality of site built and manufactured homes will affect the safety* of neighborhoods. They will also discuss the effect on values* of nearby properties. Manufactured homes are currently only allowed in certain zoning districts, and other cities in Texas prohibit these homes in single-family districts in order to not affect property values.*
The council will further discuss whether to zone areas for manufactured home subdivisions to help increase the number of these homes.
Texas Manufactured Home Safety Notes:
*Fire Safety – The truth is modern manufactured homes may well be less susceptible to fire than any other type of available housing. A study issued by the National Fire protection Association (NFPA) indicates both the occurrence of fire and injury rate is lower in manufactured homes. For more information, click: Manufactured Home Fire Safety: An Honest Discussion
*Wind and Storm Safety – The standards for manufactured homes are based upon geographical Wind Zone requirements of the HUD regulations over the last 20 years and have resulted in manufactured homes faring better in tornadoes and hurricanes than many site built homes. In fact, studies following major storms over the last few years indicate that manufactured homes have fared well in comparison to other residential dwellings: to review those studies and research click, Hurricane Hermine: Manufactured Homes vs. Traditional Homes
*Property Values – The myth that today’s modern manufactured home will depreciate faster than a comparably sized and sited traditional home has been discounted by numerous research and studies over the last several years, including recent research from the New Hampshire Regional Planners Commission affirming that manufactured homes will not depreciate any faster than a regular residential property, and its placement in a community will have no adverse effect on other property values.
