Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) released a new report examining the experiences of six community based organizations (CBOs) that have used off-site construction to create new affordable housing. Findings include:
- With construction costs remaining high, more CBOs and nonprofit developers are turning to off-site construction—both modular and manufactured—to produce affordable homes more efficiently.
- These approaches span single-family to multifamily developments, with the shared goal of shortening timelines and lowering development costs through strategic coordination.
- The paper examines strategies that enhance the feasibility, design quality, and cost-saving potential of off-site construction for below-market infill housing, informed by historical and contemporary applications.
- Drawing on six case studies and 30+ interviews, the analysis assesses project outcomes—costs, timelines, and design quality—alongside the collaboration, relationships, and decision-making that enabled them.
