Under federal regulations, “manufactured housing” refers almost exclusively to mobile homes. The narrow definition doesn’t apply to modular housing, said Jen Klose, executive director of Generation Housing in Santa Rosa.
Klose said Factory OS, a Mare Island-based manufacturer of modular units, would give Sonoma County builders first right of refusal on 950 “stack & stitch” residential units annually if the five-year-old company can obtain $35 million in capital to expand production. That arrangement has widespread backing from local elected officials, business groups and housing advocates.
The amendment sought by local housing advocates would allow Factory OS, and similar companies, to compete for federal grants to expand production. A decision could come as soon as Monday when the House Financial Services Committee takes up the domestic spending bill. It’s a small change in an obscure federal regulation, but it could deliver big dividends for affordable housing programs in Sonoma County.
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