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Next week, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 6644, the Housing for the 21st Century Act, a bipartisan housing package that passed the House Financial Services Committee in an overwhelming 50–1 vote. This broad support shows that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle recognize the urgent need to expand housing supply, lower costs and reduce the barriers holding back affordable homeownership.
H.R. 6644 is one of the most significant federal housing reform packages in decades. It includes meaningful, practical steps to expand attainable housing, modernize outdated rules, and support families seeking affordable homeownership.
The bill includes key provisions to move the manufactured housing industry forward:
Modernizes the definition of a manufactured home
Title III removes the outdated requirement that all manufactured homes be built on a permanent chassis—an unnecessary constraint that limits design, increases costs, and prevents homes from fitting seamlessly into more communities. This change allows manufacturers to deliver more homes, at lower prices, with greater design flexibility—all without expanding HUD jurisdiction over modular or site‑built homes.
Reaffirms HUD’s role as the primary federal regulator over manufactured home construction
The bill ensures federal regulatory clarity by requiring other agencies to coordinate any relevant rulemaking with HUD, reducing conflicting construction mandates that raise costs and create delays.
Encourages zoning modernization
H.R. 6644 incentivizes states and localities to ease outdated zoning and land‑use restrictions that block manufactured housing—even in communities where it is desperately needed. These reforms work together to increase housing supply, improve affordability, and create more opportunities for Americans to achieve homeownership.
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