What is Affordable Housing? How Affordable is Manufactured Housing?

WhatIsAffordableHousingManufacturedHousingIndustryDailyBusinessNewsMHProNews395Recently, a manufactured home industry professional said, “We hear about affordable housing all the time.”  He then asked – “What is affordable housing?  How is it defined?”

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD’s Definition

HUD defines “Affordable Housing as those households that are paying 30 percent or less of their income on housing.” So, singles, couples and families “who pay more than 30 percent of their income or housing are considered cost burdened.”

HUD says, “Those cost-burdened families may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care.”

How Does Someone Qualify for Section 8 Housing?

HUD’s website says, “You need to verify your income with HUD to qualify for low-income housing. You can use IRS tax returns and recent pay stubs to do this. If you get into a public housing or Section 8 unit, HUD will look at your income documents annually to make sure you remain eligible.”

How Affordable is Rent Today?

HUD cites a study that MHProNews has previously referenced.

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According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, in no community in the nation can a family afford a modest two bedroom apartment on a minimum wage income.”

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While there are a variety of federal and private sector studies that one can point to, broadly speaking, millions of affordable housing units are needed in America today. Manufactured Homes are uniquely positioned to address those needs for speed, quality, safety and low cost – per the U.S. Census Bureau, about half that of housing in general. NLIHC graphic above, collage by MHProNews, the original images are by NLIHC and are shown under fair use guidelines.

Is Housing Important to Health & Well Being?

During the run-up to HUD Secretary Caron’s confirmation, one of the slams against him by critics was that he had no experience in the housing field.

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But a point that Carson often made – the relationship between health and housing – is also made by a study from prestigious John Hopkins University.

Quoting in part, “Affordable and safe housing is important to the well-being and health of families. Without adequate housing, families have trouble managing their daily lives. … Low-income families may not have enough money to cover other vital needs, such as food, utilities, or health-related expenses if housing costs are too high.”

NewManufacturedHomeShipmentStatsistics2014gao-report-comparing-manufactured-housing-vs-apartments-posted-manufacturedhomelivingnews-com
Including pre-HUD Code mobile homes, there are about 8.8 million housing units in America at the time of the above report. Graphic, with MHProNews.com logo superimposed, Comments in drop shadow box by MHProNews.com.

How Affordable is Manufactured Housing?

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GAO graphic. Click the image above or the links below for the full report download.

The Government Accountability Office did a study that MHProNews has previously reported, and is worth revisiting.

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Cover page, with MHProNews.com logo superimposed, original image credit, GAO.

That study showed that manufactured homes are the most affordable form of housing in America.

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See the GAO affordability graphic above. The download to the full 2014 GAO report is linked here. ##

(Editor’s note: News tips and topics for reports are encouraged and welcomed via iReportMHNewsTips@mhmsm.com.)

(Image credits are as shown above, and when provided by third parties, are shared under fair use guidelines.)

SoheylaKovachManufacturedHomeLivingNewsManufacturedHousingIndustryDailyBusinessNewsMHProNews-Submitted by Soheyla Kovach to the Daily Business News for MHProNews.com.

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