Not a trailer anymore: Perceptions of manufactured housing

Abstract

Manufactured housing, commonly called mobile homes or trailers, offers an affordable housing alternative for many low‐ and moderate‐income households. Although such housing is built to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development standards, local communities and states often regulate placement. This article reports on a statewide study that profiled Virginia residents of single‐section and double‐section manufactured housing and compared their perceptions of that housing with the perceptions of other community residents. Double‐section residents had more education and higher incomes and were more likely to own their home and the land it was on than single‐section residents. Community residents had persistently negative opinions about the impact of manufactured housing on their community. Given the many challenges communities and the manufactured housing industry face in using these units to provide low‐cost housing, negative impressions, such as poor design, aging units, and “trailer” parks, must be addressed to improve acceptance.