A recent report says manufactured homes could be a solution to Indiana’s housing shortage.
Five MBA students from the Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis Kelley School of Business wrote the study, which says the cost of newly-built homes exceeds what many Hoosiers are able to afford.
The study argues that housing affordability will worsen over the next 20 years as real estate prices are expected to rise more rapidly than job wages.
MBA student and co-author Mitchell Turnbow says manufactured homes could ease the economic burden of the Indiana workforce because they are easy to build, safe, and much cheaper than site-built homes.
“Manufactured housing is not a panacea," says Mitchell. "It’s not a single-shot answer for affordable housing but it is a great option for solving one piece of that bigger puzzle.”
But Mitchell says local government zoning regulations greatly limit the potential of manufactured homes and prevents them from being used in certain areas.