Kentucky Manufactured Homes Institute Touts Manufactured Homes As Viable Solution To Affordable Housing Crisis

The Kentucky League of Cities (KLC) conference is occurring in Lexington at the Central Bank Center. It brings cities across Kentucky together connecting them with services and finding potential solutions to issues facing their respective municipalities.

What You Need To Know

• At the KLC conference, city stakeholders from across the Commonwealth could view a manufactured home.
• Manufactured  homes take days to complete compared to the months it takes to complete a site-built home.
• Because of efficient building and versatlity, manufactured homes have become a major source of affordable housing in Kentucky. They make up 11% of the state’s housing inventory, according to The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
• Kentucky Manufactured Home Institute said factory made homes are a viable option to solving the affordable housing crisis

One of those issues is lack of housing, especially affordable housing. At the conference, city stakeholders from across the Commonwealth could view a manufactured model home. Those homes could be completed within a matter of days, rather than months.

Logan Hanes, with Kentucky Manufactured Homes Institute, said despite the quick construction time, these homes have the same quality standards as a traditional site-built home.

“You can’t tell that it’s not a site-built house. You’ll see thicker wall construction, which are 2×6 walls – which 2/4 is even standard for site-built, Hanes said.

The model home on display is around 1,300 square feet and has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Hanes said all the work including construction and staging the furniture took four days.

“You have the same person that does trim work every day; that’s their job. You have the same person that frames this wall, that’s their job – and so just the efficiency of the building,” Hanes said.

Hanes said manufactured homes are versatile and can meet the needs of different prospective homeowners.

“You can buy entry-level homes, but you can also buy the Mercedes or Genesis of manufactured homes.”

City leaders at the KLC conference have been receptive to the idea of manufactured housing being used to close the gap in housing needs, including Versailles Major Brian Traugott.

“I was extremely impressed with how far along that industry has come. The product was an impressive product. I think it has the potential to play a big role in our housing affordability issue Traugott said.

A hurdle for numerous cities is variances in zoning ordinances that segregate factory-made homes from traditional single-family homes.

“I think a lot of these improvements in that industry have gone unnoticed by local officials, planning administrates, those who write those ordinances and regulations. I think it may be time to take a fresh look at that,” Traugott said. 

Hanes said those concerned about tornado safety can be assured every new manufactured home is inspected by the state twice and has the same anchoring system as site-built homes.

Kentucky Manufactured Homes Institute has also partnered with the Kentucky Housing Corporation to help build and design over 2000 homes needed in Eastern Kentucky over a six-year grant period.