Testimony to House committee: easing manufactured‑home titling could expand mortgage access and affordability in Vermont

Rachel Siegel, a senior officer at the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Housing Policy Initiative, told the House Committee on General and Housing on Jan. 27 that state titling rules and lender practices are a major barrier to mortgage access for people who live in manufactured homes. Siegel said manufactured homes—distinct from pre‑1976 "mobile homes" because they must meet HUD code standards—can be a lower‑cost option: in 2020, Pew‑commissioned research found a new single‑section manufactured home cost about $57,000 compared with about $162,000 for a similarly sized new site‑built structure, meaning "the home buyer would pay up to 63% less for a manufactured home compared with site build," she said.

Siegel framed the problem around three policy levers: financing, land use and zoning, and titling. She said titling is especially consequential because most manufactured homes in most states are initially titled as personal property (similar to a car) rather than real estate, and "real‑estate ownership is necessary for mortgage eligibility," which typically brings lower interest rates, longer terms and stronger…