[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 25, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF MANUFACTURED AND MODULAR HOUSING

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                               speech of

                        HON. ROBERT B. ADERHOLT

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 24, 2010

  Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the Gentleman from 
Indiana for introducing H. Res. 584, ``Recognizing the importance of 
manufactured and modular housing in the United States.''
  Manufactured and modular housing play an important role in meeting 
the housing needs of the people of my home state of Alabama and the 
United States of America.
  Over the past two decades, the quality of manufactured housing has 
become essentially equivalent to that of conventional housing and 
manufactured housing has grown in popularity as an affordable 
alternative to conventional site-built housing.
  A Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies reported that 
manufactured housing has no impact on the appreciation rates of 
surrounding properties, putting an end to the myth of negative property 
value impacts.
  It is also good to know that the manufactured and modular housing 
industry continues to be an important part of our nation's economy. 
Manufactured and modular housing has produced approximately $6 billion 
annually in sales and employs approximately 70,000 people in factories 
and retail centers alone.
  These factories are an important contributor to the economy in the 
district I represent, as there are more than ten manufacturers in the 
4th Congressional District of Alabama.
  During a recession, I would encourage any Americans to consider a 
manufactured or modular house as an option. According to the 
Manufactured Housing Institute, construction costs per square foot for 
a new manufactured home average anywhere from 10 to 35 percent less 
than a comparable site-built home, excluding the cost of land, 
depending on the region of the country.
  Home ownership is part of the American Dream and I am pleased to 
encourage affordable home ownership opportunities through manufactured 
and modular housing for so many Americans who can benefit from this 
type of home ownership.

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