Foundation Spurs Manufactured Home Pilot Program in Detroit
Numerous cities in the U.S. have an abundance of city-owned land that is ideal for home construction. However, site built home construction is expensive.
Recently we reported about the inexpensive owned properties that are available in the city of Louisville, Kentucky that would be available for affordable new quality manufactured home placements.
The following are excerpts from a report by D-BUSINESS Daily News in Detroit, Michigan about how high quality manufactured homes could help solve housing affordability issues in the city of Detroit.
The Gilbert Family Foundation and North Corktown Neighborhood Association (NCNA) on February 9 announced Tomorrow’s Housing Innovation Showcase (THIS), a new effort to show the potential for factory-built housing to provide high-quality and attainable homes for Detroiters.
The city offers plenty of vacant land for new housing, with the bulk of it owned by the city, Detroit Land Bank Authority, and private individuals and companies.
Right now, new home construction is expensive, but if manufactured housing takes hold, prices will drop considerably.
Tomorrow’s Housing Innovation Showcase will work with up to nine different manufacturers, each of which will build one modern, energy efficient home in North Corktown.
NCNA will establish a community land trust (CLT) to manage projects, ensuring the homes are developed in alignment with the community’s needs and that local renters and first-time homebuyers have the first opportunity to own the homes. The parcels used for the project have been vacant for decades.
“For years, we’ve heard from our residents that North Corktown needs diverse housing options, and this project is one solution to address the housing gaps,” says Tricia Talley, executive director of NCNA,
“At one time in our history, Detroit built more housing than any other city in the world, but today, Detroit lacks quality, affordable housing solutions,” says Laura Grannenann, executive director of the Gilbert Family Foundation.
Residents are expected to play a critical role in defining the direction of the showcase by providing feedback of the proposed CLT and its governance, design considerations for the homes, and other important areas.
The factory-built homes will be unveiled in late 2024. The location, investment costs, and price ranges of the homes was not available.
