Contain costs
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines 'affordable' as housing that costs no more than 30 percent of a household’s monthly income. However, nearly one-third of all households spend at least 30 percent of their income on housing and 13 percent spend 50 percent or more on housing costs according to Nicolas Retsinas Director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University. There clearly is a need for housing that contains costs and allows residents to focus on other concerns they are bound to face.
As important as it is to keep initial and fixed costs down it is just as important to minimize other resident expenses as well, such as monthly utility bills. Designing more efficient and cost effective housing begins in the design phase of the project when plans are generated to reduce waste and increase building efficiency. According to the City Design Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago,
“Many design strategies can be used to minimize these costs without compromising durability and livability: efficient space planning, shared uses and amenities, and built-in furnishings are but a few possible strategies. Building dimensions and construction details that use standard size building materials can limit waste and labor costs.”
Resources
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center was founded in 1964 as a not-for-profit subsidiary of the NAHB. The Research Center updates U.S. homebuilders with regard to new technology and changing needs through their programs, including testing and certification of building products.
http://www.nahbrc.org
The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) is a public/private sector initiative which seeks to expand the development and utilization of new technologies in order to make American homes more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, stronger, safer and more durable.
http://www.pathnet.org
The American Planning Association (APA) is a non-profit public interest and research organization focusing on urban and rural planning issues. The APA Policy Guide on Factory Built Housing addresses manufactured housing with a second section, to be developed, on modular housing.
http://www.planning.org/govt/policyguide/facthous.htm
