An innovative collaboration between affordable-housing and energy-efficiency advocates has resulted from the destruction wrought by Tropical Storm Irene that destroyed or damaged 560 manufactured homes in Vermont. Many manufactured housing communities (MHCs) are located in low lying areas, making them more susceptible to flood water damage. Since many residents of factory-built homes are at the lower range of the income scale, according to vnews.com, the challenge to recover from such a loss is a bit more difficult. The Manufactured Housing Innovation Project concluded that building a manufactured home to be super stingy with using energy will cost more initially but will save enough energy to justify the higher price tag. MHProNews has learned manufactured homes being built in White River Junction through a pilot project will put the report’s conclusions to a test. Although conventional mortgages are not generally available to buyers of manufactured homes, and coming up with a down payment can be tough, subsidies and tax credits are available through affordable housing programs.
