“Mobile Homes” and “Manufactured Homes” – Not One in the Same

Often those that have not explored today’s modern manufactured housing will assume that a “mobile home” is one-in-the-same, exposing myths that have been handed down through generations, such as  – “They are not well-built,” – “They are not safe,” – “They don’t appreciate, – “they are not energy efficient,”- “They don’t last, etc, etc..etc.

Today’s manufactured homes are the most regulated and inspected single family quality affordable housing in the United States. The only form of housing in the U.S. subject to a stringent National Building Code.

With the support of responsible members of the “mobile home” industry, the U.S. Congress passed legislation in 1976  establishing a federal code for “mobile homes.” This legislation is the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Act which went into effect June 15, 1976, creating legally the “manufactured home, and ending the production of  new “mobile homes.”

The federal code is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Community Development (commonly known as the HUD Code). The federal standards regulate manufactured housing design and construction, strength and durability, transportability, fire resistance, energy efficiency and overall quality. The HUD Code also sets standards for heating, plumbing, air conditioning, wind safety, thermal and electrical systems.

In the 1950’s, 60’s, and into the 1970’s, the “mobile homes” aka “trailers” burst upon the housing scene as a form of housing that anyone could afford. The incredible demand resumed in dozens of manufacturing plants building thousands of these low price homes throughout the country, in states where regulations governing construction and health and safety were virtually non-existent.

In the meantime, several manufacturers on the west coast were producing quality mobile homes for homebuyers to be placed on more expensive land or in modern mobile-home land-lease communities.The state of California, for example, regulated factory built homes to a standard that would eventually be a template for federal regulations that were to follow.

Even today, 50 years later. Many of those shopping for a new manufactured home will often refer to them as “mobile homes.” Those, including many of us employed in the manufactured housing industry, will often refer to today’s manufactured homes as “mobile homes.”

Today, there are estimated one million plus home owners that still reside in “mobile homes.” Perhaps the long outdated terminology is ingrained in “nostalgia.”