Examining community attitudes toward manufactured housing

Despite the need for affordable housing, consumers have failed to recognize manufactured housing as a viable alternative to site-built housing. The decline in market share for manufactured housing and subsequent decrease in sales has threatened the sustainability of manufacturers, retailers, suppliers, and support organizations. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine the extent that respondents’ demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, perceptions of manufactured home characteristics, and perceptions of manufactured home occupants and neighborhood characteristics predicted the acceptance of manufactured homes. The model of acceptance of manufactured homes provided the theoretical framework for the study. Data were collected from 2 surveys distributed among adult learners (n = 204) enrolled in a nontraditional degree-seeking program at university campuses in west Tennessee. One survey applied to single-section manufactured homes and another survey instrument applied to double-section homes. Correlation and multiple regression analyses techniques tested the hypotheses. Six of the 12 independent variables emerged as moderate predictors of manufactured home acceptance (R2 = .217), which were respondents’ housing value, perceived manufactured home occupant behavior, perceived educational levels of manufactured home occupants, respondents’ household size and composition, land-use mix, and respondents’ neighborhood population range. The research findings may contribute to social change through providing a foundation for future research on variables that influence consumer perceptions about affordable housing choices.