HUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase, MHI’s Homes on the Hill and Annual Meeting Begin Sept. 22
Two of the country’s largest builders of manufactured homes will be featured Sept. 22-24 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Innovative Housing Showcase in partnership with the Manufactured Housing Institute and its Homes on the Hill event that this year coincides with the annual member meeting.
Cavco Industries, based in Phoenix, Arizona, is partnering with UMH Properties to show the first-ever chassis-free manufactured home, a design and engineering option unleashed by the historic 21st Century ROAD to Housing bill that became law in July. UMH, based in Freehold, New Jersey, makes the showcase viable by agreeing to share cost and to purchase the homes on display for its community residents or potential buyers. Champion Homes, based in Troy, Michigan, is bringing a pair of homes, each of which also leverages the new design flexibility — a two-story manufactured home that is geared toward urban infill in tight metropolitan settings — as well as a thoughtfully designed ranch home that fits nicely in nearly any residential setting.
The annual showcase is held each year to highlight housing designs and technologies intended to increase the supply of homes and lower costs for owners and renters. The showcase draws policymakers, industry leaders, members of Congress and the public for tours of model homes, as well as educational discussion panels on housing affordability.
Cavco said the new home, Grande Arbor, and its “double grande suite floor plan” target the growing demand for multigenerational living.
“Addressing the affordable housing crisis remains a top priority for our company,” Cavco President and CEO Bill Boor said. “Innovation and advocacy for manufactured housing at the national and local level go hand in hand.
“That’s why events like the Innovative Housing Showcase are so important,” he said. “Policymakers and others can see for themselves the homes we are developing to meet buyers’ needs while keeping prices affordable. The Grande Arbor does both, and we’re proud to showcase it this year.”
According to the Pew Research Center, about 22 percent of Americans — more than 74 million people — currently live in a multigenerational household. The National Association of Realtors reported that in 2024, 17 percent of homes purchased in the U.S. were bought specifically for multigenerational use, the highest share on record. Aging parents, adult children returning home, and the rising cost of maintaining separate households are among the factors driving the trend, Cavco stated in its release on the new home.
Building HUD-code homes without a permanent steel chassis allows for lower-profile installation of a manufactured home. This ground-set capability provides improved curb appeal for smooth integration into traditional neighborhoods, access to new urban and suburban markets and developments, as well as greater design flexibility, including multi-story construction.
The new frameless display home places two primary suites at opposite ends of the home, private areas that are connected by a shared kitchen, dining, and living space to fit the needs of households looking for multigenerational housing options.
Cavco’s home was built in the company’s Rocky Mount, Virginia, homebuilding facility, the same production team that introduced the first nationally available HUD-approved duplex at the showcase in 2023.
Champion Two-Story Home Rises to the Occasion
Champion Homes is taking affordability to new heights for the 2026 Innovative Housing Showcase. With an eye toward urban infill lots in nearly any metro area in the U.S., the New Horizon features a two-story layout and a small building footprint designed for high-density city settings. The company’s first two-story manufactured home with a removed second-floor chassis, the New Horizon leverages the benefits of vertical construction to lower costs for builders, buyers, and renters.
The New Horizon has a front porch, a second-story balcony, and a large deck that’s ideal for entertaining. Families looking for spaces for intergenerational living will love the primary bedroom and en suite bathroom on the first floor, offering an affordable, attainable solution for aging in place.
As land costs are increasingly becoming a barrier to homeownership across the U.S., the New Horizon answers the call with a trailblazing two-story layout and an affordable price point.
What Makes New Horizon Different
The two-story manufactured home with a removed second-floor chassis provides increased curb appeal because there’s substantially less space between the first and second floors, where a second-floor chassis would have been used. It is a 1,698-square-foot home with a dual vanity and shower/tub combo in the primary suite. In addition to the kitchen, living, and dining areas is a dedicated office and half bath. The second floor has a pair of bedrooms, another full bath, a loft space, and access to the upstairs balcony.
The use of two-story homes in a community setting allows for increased square footage on a smaller land footprint, Champion said in its release on the new design. The use of two-story homes by retailers allows for increased livable square footage at an attainable price in historically high-cost real estate areas. This allows retailers who are used to predominantly placing homes on rural land to expand their business into urban markets.
Champion’s New Frontier
The ranch home from Champion is called the New Frontier and delivers the style homeowners want and the affordability they need. It offers exceptional curb appeal and in-demand features homeowners desire — and its appealing design fits in with existing neighborhoods across the country. It provides a practical solution for single-story living with its classic ranch design, main-floor laundry room, and standalone bathtub in the primary bathroom.
The need for affordable housing has never been greater, Champion stated, and the New Frontier rises to the occasion with a standout design that families can afford. The 1,759-square-foot floor plan features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, island and bar seating in the kitchen, a dedicated dining area, and a primary suite with dual vanity, shower, and standalone tub.
The New Horizon and the New Frontier, Champion stated, are designed for flexibility and will be available in multiple configurations like HUD Code, HUD Code with a removed chassis, and modular.
The 2026 sponsors for the Innovative Housing Showcase are MHI, International Code Council, National Association of Home Builders, Rocket, and Structural Building Components Association. The theme for the 2026 event, while celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday, is “Made in America.”
“Under President Trump’s leadership, HUD is bringing the public and private sectors together to advance bold, practical solutions for housing affordability,” said Secretary Turner. “This Showcase is a powerful reminder of what is possible when free enterprise, American grit, and strong public-private partnerships come together to make the American Dream of homeownership a reality. I am grateful to our incredible sponsors and exhibitors for bringing this experience to the National Mall and giving Americans an opportunity to experience firsthand the innovation emerging across our nation.”
MHI CEO Lesli Gooch said MHI is pleased to again partner with HUD for the Innovative Housing Showcase, and at this historic moment for manufactured housing.
“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the HUD Code, the manufactured homes on display will showcase the next generation of housing innovation and the transformative potential of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, legislation that will help unlock greater design flexibility and expand housing supply,” Gooch said. “We are grateful for HUD’s leadership and encouraged by Congress’ embrace of manufactured housing as an essential part of the nation’s housing supply strategy. Together, we are making homeownership attainable for more Americans and delivering high-quality housing options to communities across the country.”
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