Please pick one: A) Develop affordable housing; B) Achieve climate goals; C) Create a Roadmap to meet both goals

Local governments throughout the country have committed to reducing emissions from residential and commercial buildings. Many communities are also confronting growing gaps in affordable housing availability.

This research explores strategies that municipalities are pursuing to achieve both sustainability and affordability goals. Advances in high-performance prefabricated homes present a potential opportunity to achieve both objectives.

This research examines case studies from Cleveland, New York City, Aurora (Illinois), and New York City, where cities and affordable housing organizations are facilitating the construction of highly efficient prefabricated homes.

The paper establishes a roadmap through which local governments can engage with manufactured home producers, adapt zoning guidelines, and take the additional steps needed to make use of prefabricated homes as an affordable housing strategy.

This paper was presented at the 2026 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings.