Making it Happen: Scaling Off-site Construction

Off-site construction, which includes both modular and prefabricated housing, has immense potential to cut both the time and money it takes to develop housing by pre-assembling building components off-site before installing them on-site. However, this strategy does come with its own challenges: a lack of clear and consistent regulations, a mismatch with existing building codes, and a need for non-traditional financing products.  

Since releasing a paper on this strategy in 2019, several jurisdictions and private entities have taken steps to make it easier to build multifamily housing off site. In a new issue brief — Making it Happen: Scaling Off-Site Construction, the second in this series focused on opportunities to scale affordable housing innovations — we highlight regulatory reforms that would make it easier to leverage off-site construction and opportunities to tailor financing products to its unique needs.

Read our first issue brief in the series, "Making It Happen: Scaling Accessory Dwelling Units."