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Executive Summary
Report
Solutions and Recommendations
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Downtown Housing Improvement Corp.
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ONE
SMALL DEVELOPER'S EXPERIENCE:
DANBURY HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Danbury Housing Authority
(DHA) placed one manufactured housing unit on an infill site in Danbury,
Connecticut in 2000. David Ghio, Modernization Coordinator, noted that
DHA's highest priority was to reduce time and cost. The home and land
is owned by DHA and rented to eligible families.
Ghio gave the design's appropriateness for the neighborhood a rating of
five out of ten. DHA made extensive alterations to meet neighborhood criteria,
including the addition of two bedrooms to make the home a four-bedroom
unit. The changes cost $30,000 extra, raising the cost per unit to $120/square
foot, about the same as a site-built home in the area. DHA faced resistance
for the project from neighbors who did not want more low-income housing.
The project took longer than a comparable site-built home to complete
- seven months from the time DHA decided to use manufactured housing.
Ghio noted that this time could have been reduced had the manufacturer
and the architectural firm communicated more efficiently. The property
has appreciated in value, as has other real estate in the area. In the
end, Mr. Ghio said, "The project did not meet the needs [of DHA]
because of the square foot cost being excessive as compared to a stick
built home."
Lessons learned:
- Modifications cut down
on the price advantage.
- Communication between parties
is key to keeping time efficiencies.
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