Clayton, a leading national builder, has partnered with the Georgia Manufactured Housing Association to provide a glimpse of what is possible with off-site built residential developments.
The infill project showcases Clayton Built® CrossMod homes in a development by Iron Horse Communities. The stakeholders said the effort may be a first of its kind project at least within the core of the Atlanta metro area.
CrossMod homes make the most of factory homebuilding technologies and efficiencies and combines it with features commonly seen in site-built construction. The unique approach to homebuilding and delivery provides a unique experience for the buyer.
The homes are uniquely positioned to help increase housing inventory while tackling restrictive urban zoning policies that have limited the acceptance of off-site built housing in the past.
“Atlanta is an example of a city allowing innovative housing solutions to help promote the Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY) movement, which advocates for increasing housing supply in cities where housing has become unaffordable, and provide a path for attainable homeownership,” Clayton Director of Industry and Community Affairs Ramsey Cohen said. “It is critical that we find ways to increase attainable homeownership in cities across the nation, and the acceptance of CrossMod in Atlanta is a major step toward accomplishing that goal.”
The two Clayton CrossMod homes in Atlanta are eBuilt™ homes, which are built to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home™ specifications and are estimated to save homeowners up to 50 percent on annual energy costs, allowing homeowners to save more money over the lifetime of the home.
The city of Atlanta allows off-site built homes within city limits so long as the homes are secured to a permanent foundation. This zoning ordinance is an example of flexible legislation that can increase attainable homeownership opportunities in high-growth cities across the country.
As the housing shortage in the United States persists, home builders like Clayton are identifying innovative solutions to help families achieve homeownership. CrossMod homes are built off-site in home building facilities and finished on-site with a foundation, garage, and porches.
Urban infill solutions allow single-family home builders like Clayton to develop previously vacant properties within established neighborhoods, opening up more housing opportunities in densely populated cities without putting a burden on existing infrastructure and resources. The two homes, which match the scale and aesthetics of existing homes in the area, blend seamlessly into the surrounding neighborhood.
“Every Clayton CrossMod home begins at a Clayton home building facility. This allows us to achieve the efficiencies of off-site construction, a benefit that we pass down to customers in the form of cost savings,” Clayton CrossMod Business Development Manager Andrew Bryant said. “CrossMod homes add another tool to a developer’s tool belt and allow them to bring homes to the market fast. By building the home off-site, we can promise homebuyers a quality home in a shorter period of time. Once the home is built, it’s finished on the property. The customer ends up with a home that’s indistinguishable from a site-built home.”
CrossMod homes are built to HUD code and blend the best of off-site and site-built construction. Each CrossMod home in Atlanta took only one day to build before they were set by crane on their final sites. With CrossMod, developments can be completed at a more efficient pace, resulting in more quality-built homes at attainable price points. CrossMod homes also finance and appraise just like site-built homes.
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