Affordable Housing, Energy and Climate Solution: Replace Inefficient Mobile Homes

Approximately 2 million mobile homes built before national standards were implemented in 1976 are in use today across all 50 states. The families who live in these mobile homes are often at or below the poverty level, but spend a lot of their money on energy. Old mobile homes use more energy per square foot than other housing options thanks to unsealed windows and non-insulated walls. This high level of energy consumption causes multiple problems, including energy bills that can consume 50 percent or more of household income and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Unfortunately, these pre-1976 mobile homes are generally in such bad condition that they cannot be helped by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) recently published a factsheet and held a briefing for Congressional staff on energy use in mobile homes, and how federal policy can be designed to help replace these units with energy efficient manufactured housing -- a win-win opportunity for affordable housing and climate change mitigation objectives alike.