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manufactured home / modular home / mobile home

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Definition

Manufactured home can refer to a factory-constructed home transported to a home site. Modular homes are governed by state guidelines and are more likely to be transportable between locations. Mobile homes refer to constructions made prior to changes in federal construction codes from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, when the agency adopted the term “manufactured home” for any new movable housing.

“Manufactured home” may carry less negative connotations than something like “trailer,” which may reinforce classist stereotypes (think of the phrase “trailer trash”). Similarly, when it comes to areas where numerous homes are located, using “mobile home encampment” or “park” is an alternative to the historically negative catchall “trailer park.”

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Summary

Manufactured home can refer to a factory-constructed home transported to a home site. Modular homes are governed by state guidelines and are more likely to be transportable between locations. Mobile homes refer to constructions made prior to changes in federal construction codes from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, when the agency adopted the term “manufactured home” for any new movable housing.

“Manufactured home” may carry less negative connotations than something like “trailer,” which may reinforce classist stereotypes. Similarly, when it comes to areas where numerous homes are located, using “mobile home encampment” or “park” is an alternative to the historically negative catchall “trailer park.”