PRIMER

Building Affordably: A Primer on Off-Site Construction Methods and the Opportunity to Expand Homeownership

Dec 2019

The Twin Cities region faces a severe shortage of affordable homeownership opportunities, especially for low- and moderate-income households at 50 to 100 percent of Adjusted Median Income (AMI). There is currently a gap of thousands of units in annual production between new supply and demand in the Twin Cities market. While market forces may close this gap somewhat, seven full years into the recovery from the Great Recession, production continues to lag well behind demand and additional approaches are needed.

Drawing on interviews with more than 50 local and national industry leaders, as well as an extensive literature review, Family Housing Fund identified off-site construction as one of a handful of cost-efficient interventions capable of creating hundreds to thousands of units in the region annually, both through production and cost savings. This primer provides an introduction to off-site construction, such as modular and panelized techniques, as well as the opportunity and challenges for advancing an off-site construction industry in Minnesota.

Interested in learning more? Additional research and resources on off-site construction can be found on the Construction Revolution Summit website.

Topics
Case Studies, Development, Finance Tools, Home Ownership, Research Report
Who is it for?
Business Leaders & Employers, Housing Providers, Policy Makers

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