Congress May Finally Recognize That Mobile Homes Aren’t Really That Mobile

Manufactured homes became known as mobile homes because there was a time when they were truly mobile, with owners moving them around the country in search of work or better places to live.

To ensure their mobility, Congress passed legislation in 1974 requiring every manufactured home to be built on a permanent chassis — a heavy-duty metal frame that could be attached to wheels.

There is now a measure to eliminate the steel chassis requirement for manufactured homes, part of a sweeping federal housing bill moving through Congress aimed at increasing homeownership and easing the shortage of low-income housing nationwide.

Housing experts say doing away with the chassis requirement is long overdue because mobile homes are rarely moved once they are set into a foundation in a trailer park or other residential neighborhood.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/23/business/manufactured-homes-chassis.html