IME suggests modular homes would ease the housing crunch, because, similarly to the U. S., housing prices are beyond the reach of many first-time homeowners. Dr. Tim Fox, who authored the study, suggests the government offer incentives to build off-site housing. Noting it is faster and more environmentally friendly, he says modular homes use fewer resources to build than a typical bricks and mortar home and is also more energy efficient once completed.
Adding that the technology in building off-site has advanced well beyond the systems-built homes of the 1960s and 70s, Fox said the homes are less expensive and could expand the country’s manufacturing and skills base. “The UK is in the middle of an acute housing crisis. The Government needs to demonstrate real ambition, leadership and innovation, not make small piecemeal changes, if it is going to solve the UK’s housing crisis. Overhauling the way the UK constructs homes could be the quickest and most effective way of doing this.” ##
(Photo credit: hulldailymail/Jim Coldwell–modular home siting in Great Britain)
