The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in partnership with the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and MOD X, released the Offsite Construction for Housing: Research Roadmap. This is a strategic report that presents the key knowledge gaps and research needs to overcome the barriers and challenges to offsite construction, according to a release.
High prices for buyers and renters are forcing Americans out of their homes and making housing unattainable. This crisis is to a large extent driven by supply constraints.
Offsite construction, HUD stated, has the potential to deliver more affordable and accessible single and multifamily housing at scale. However, offsite construction for housing in the U.S. faces several challenges to increase uptake and adoption. This stands in considerable contrast to more mature international offsite construction industries, such as those in the UK, Japan, and Sweden.
“We need an all-of-the-above approach to housing, and offsite construction represents a unique and underused opportunity to help meet the needs of America’s working families,” NIBS CEO/President AC Powell said in the release. “We applaud HUD for undertaking this research effort to overcome barriers and level the playing field for all construction methods to help alleviate the housing crisis.”
The Research Roadmap was developed by a Project Technical Committee chaired by MOD X and composed of national and international stakeholders and cross-sector experts. It is intended as a roadmap for HUD to align its programs and partnerships, while simultaneously offering an industry-wide roadmap for governments, universities, and offsite companies to come together to advance offsite construction for housing.
In 2013, the NIBS established the Off-Site Construction Council to serve as a research, education, and outreach center for relevant and current information on off-site design and construction for commercial, institutional, and multifamily facilities.