For Affordable Housing, Modular Offers Help — And Hope

The Prefab Logic team travels all across the country to spread the word about the cost, quality, speed, and labor advantages of modular construction. But nowhere is that message resonating stronger than on the West coast, whose affordable housing crunch has turned into a full-blown crisis, particularly for those who need housing the most.

A few weeks ago, I presented at a conference in Salem, Oregon hosted by Housing Oregon, an affordable housing advocacy organization made up of public agencies, community development non-profits, and private businesses. There were six seminar tracks focused on training members and developers in current best practices for affordable housing, offering guidance on everything from building management to mental health care for residents.

In the housing development track, I led a breakout session called “Multifamily Housing Solutions Using Modular Construction.” I explained the modular construction process to the audience of developers and public policy makers, and along with the other panelists, described how modular can produce quality housing faster and with less labor than traditional construction.

I love watching when the advantages of modular “click” with a client, and he or she experiences that “a-ha” moment. But at Housing Oregon, instead of an “a-ha” with dollar signs attached, the click I witnessed with members of the audience came with hope for better communities. It’s a great reminder that the modular construction revolution we’re leading nationwide has the potential to do a lot of good for a growing number of people. – Jon Moon