MHI Applauds House Passage of H.R. 5184, the Affordable HOMES Act

This morning, the House of Representatives made a crucial advancement in resolving the duplicative regulatory oversight of manufactured home energy efficiency standards by passing H.R. 5184, the Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards (Affordable HOMES) Act with a bipartisan vote of 263-147. The passage of this bill is a victory for the American homebuyer and expands access to attainable, quality housing options while ensuring energy-efficient updates will be data-driven, cost-effective and achievable.

The repeal of Section 413 from the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) unlocks long-awaited progress by ending years of regulatory paralysis, restoring the Department of Energy’s (DOE) role to an advisory capacity and reaffirming the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as the final authority on manufactured housing standards which is consistent with Congress’s original intent when it established the HUD Code.

“Today’s manufactured homes are built with advanced, factory-controlled processes and often exceed the energy efficiency of site-built homes. Modern manufactured homes are built to high energy performance standards, with over 50% of new manufactured homes being ENERGY STAR certified and all exceeding current HUD efficiency standards. The industry has consistently advocated for meaningful updates to enhanced energy standards that appropriately reflect the unique characteristics of manufactured housing. Restoring a streamlined, effective regulatory framework under HUD will advance those goals and deliver lasting impacts across affordability, energy efficiency and housing access nationwide,” said Dr. Lesli Gooch, CEO of MHI. “We, alongside Americans pursuing homeownership, thank Rep. Erin Houchin (IN-09) and Rep. Jake Auchincloss (MA-04) for their bipartisan leadership and support, and we commend the House of Representatives for passing H.R. 5184, a critical step to achieving the dream of owning a home.”

“As demand for affordable homes has surged, so have unnecessary costs, making the dream of homeownership slip further out of reach for Americans. The Affordable HOMES Act takes a practical approach by cutting red tape and regulations that contribute to pricing American families out of owning a home, which will increase supply and lower costs,” said Rep. Houchin. “I’m proud to see the House take an important step toward restoring the American Dream with the passage of this bill.”

In addition to Rep. Houchin and Rep. Auchincloss, MHI would like to recognize and thank the other representatives who spoke on behalf of the bill on the floor: Rep. Chuck Edwards (NC-11), Rep. Bob Latta (OH-05), Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter (GA-01), Rep. Rick Allen (GA-12), Rep. John James (MI-10), Rep. Gabe Evans (CO-08), Rep. Young Kim (CA-40), Rep. Mike Flood (NE-01), Rep. Rudy Yakym (IN-02), Rep. Harriet Hageman (WY), Rep. Jefferson Shreve (IN-06), and Rep. Tim Moore (NC-14).

Manufactured housing is the nation’s largest source of unsubsidized affordable homeownership and was projected to build more than 100,000 homes in 2025, accounting for close to 10 percent of new single-family home starts. Keeping these homes both affordable and energy efficient is essential for millions of working families. This legislation eliminates duplicative federal rules that lawmakers say have increased costs for manufactured housing and ensures that energy efficiency improvements are made in a way that preserves affordability and access for low- and moderate-income Americans.

 “This legislation is essential to our work to cut red tape and lower costs for hard-working American families. The Affordable HOMES Act cuts redundant regulations to help restore the American Dream of home ownership for millions of families,” said Rep. Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. “Thank you to Congresswoman Houchin for your work to lead the Affordable HOMES and support our communities.”

Section 413 of EISA gave DOE overlapping authority to set energy standards for manufactured homes, conflicting with HUD’s long-standing, preemptive authority under the HUD Code. This dual authority has led to years of confusion, litigation, and inaction. Neither agency has been able to move forward with meaningful, practical energy efficiency updates for manufactured housing.

Despite the regulatory gridlock, the energy efficiency of manufactured homes has continued to advance thanks to industry innovation and voluntary programs. More than half of all new manufactured homes are ENERGY STAR certified and all surpass current HUD efficiency standards. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and American Housing Survey show that today’s manufactured homes have lower total energy use per household than site-built homes, and the gap in efficiency has narrowed dramatically. The Affordable HOMES Act restores regulatory clarity, allowing HUD to update energy standards just as it does for all other aspects of the code—ensuring manufactured homes remain both affordable and energy efficient.