AUGUSTA - A bill sponsored by Rep. Cheryl Golek, D-Harpswell, allowing manufactured housing on single-family lots was signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills on Tuesday.
LD 337 will add an affordable homeownership pathway for low-to-middle-income Mainers grappling with the state's housing crisis. As amended, the bill will put manufactured housing on par with single-family, site-built homes by subjecting them to the same municipality-specific design and zoning criteria.
"This bill will help alleviate our state's housing crisis by reducing the barrier to homeownership for low-to-middle-income Mainers," said Rep. Golek. "This legislation moves us past the antiquated stereotype that society has of manufactured homes, which are not only an affordable dwelling option, but an accessible one as well."
Research shows that manufactured housing is widely regarded as a cost-efficient alternative to site-built homes. Constructed in a controlled environment, manufactured housing mitigates unpredictable costs associated with labor, materials and carrying costs, which is seen in conventional construction projects. This approach has garnered significant support from prominent housing advocates across the state, including Eli Rubin and Shelly Norton of Maines Association of Planners.
The new law will go into effect 90 days after the current session of the Legislature adjourns.
Golek, a member of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee and the Joint Select Committee on Housing, is serving her first term in the Maine House and represents Harpswell and part of Brunswick.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Golek], c. 305-965-2744