In 1974, Congress passed the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act which authorized the Department of Housing and Urban Development to establish construction standards for manufactured homes. In 2000, Congress updated the 1974 Act.
In passing the two laws, Congress, intended to protect the quality, durability, safety and affordability of manufactured homes; to facilitate the availability of affordable manufactured homes and increase homeownership for all Americans; to provide for the establishment of uniform and performance-based construction standards for manufactured homes; and to encourage cost-effective and innovative construction techniques for manufactured homes.
Congress also authorized the establishment of a Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCSS) to assist HUD in the development, revision and interpretation of the MHCSS.
In addition, it authorized HUD to establish minimum manufactured home installation standards that could be adopted by states to provide for the initial installation of new manufactured homes and a program to provide for the resolution of disputes between consumers, retailers and manufacturers.
In 1976, HUD established the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (MHCSS), commonly known as the HUD code. These federal standards regulate all aspects of construction, including design and construction strength, durability, transportability, fire resistance, and energy efficiency. The HUD-Code is periodically updated based on recommendations of the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee, comprised of a balanced group of users, producers, general interest and public officials who meet on a regular basis to work on recommendations for revisions to the MHCSS.
