The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced this week that it has established a new Office of Manufactured Housing Programs, which will report to Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner Julia Gordon. The office will work to accelerate manufactured housing in order to help address the nation’s inventory issues.

“This organizational change represents a recognition of the critically important role that manufactured housing plays in our country’s housing market,” said Gordon. “Thanks to the work executed by our Office of Manufactured Housing Programs over the last two years, we have made significant progress to support the availability of modern and affordable manufactured homes.”

Previously organized under the Office of Housing’s Office of Risk Management and Regulatory Affairs, the new structure is designed to make clear the role that manufactured housing can play in addressing the nation’s housing needs.

“Manufactured housing has figured prominently in the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing and can be a helpful avenue for those of more modest means to achieve the wealth-building potential of homeownership,” the HUD announcement said.

HUD also highlighted actions taken by the administration to expand its manufactured housing programs, including support for the continued production of manufactured homes despite COVID-19 supply chain challenges; implementing “the first major changes in almost a decade” to the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, most commonly referred to as the “HUD Code;” and initiating “the largest set of proposed changes to the HUD Code in over two decades,” HUD said.

Those proposed changes include bringing the HUD Code in line with recent manufactured housing industry standards; allowing “certain ridge roof designs;” adding language to allow for multifamily manufactured homes of up to three units; updating open floor plan requirements and plans for attics; and accessibility improvements.

The department also included a new description for the office and its responsibilities.

“The Office enforces standards directly or through state agencies that have partnered with HUD, inspects factories and retailer lots, regulates installation standards for homes, and administers a dispute resolution program for defects,” the Department said. “The Office also oversees a Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee, a federal advisory committee composed of twenty-one producers, users, and general interest and public officials to advise HUD.”