This manufactured home is an example of how Jacksonville and HUD hope to increase affordable housing. | City of Jacksonville
Published on June 30, 2026 at 5:05 pm
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A pilot program between Jacksonville and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will seek to expand affordable housing by using modern manufactured homes.
The Starter Home Initiative could become a model for other cities across the nation, Mayor Donna Deegan said during an announcement Tuesday.
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The site for the homes is initially planned for 5 acres east of Sibbald Road, near Charles “Boobie” Clark Park on the city’s Northside.
The city would carry the primary responsibility to find, zone and permit home sites, and would secure housing manufacturers and funding partners. HUD would find Federal Housing Administration-insured financing for use by qualified homeowners and provide program support.
The city supplied images of some of possible designs for the manufactured home, showing porches and gabled roofs outside and large kitchens and living rooms inside.
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HUD’s acting deputy assistant secretary, Paul Olin, said modern manufactured homes are produced under the national construction and safety standards and can become one solution to create affordable homeownership for families.
He said partnerships the one involving Jacksonville can “expand access to the American dream.”
“Manufactured housing is the largest source of unsubsidized affordable single family housing in the country, currently representing 10% of new single family housing starts” he said.
The mayor initially approved the program last August. HUD Deputy Regional Administrator Tiffany Cobb praised Jacksonville’s willingness to work with the federal agency.
“While several communities were positioned for this effort, Jacksonville quickly came to mind as the ideal partner because of our long-standing collaboration with the city on prior initiatives; the local leadership here with Mayor Deegan,” Cobb said. “And then, as well, the city’s readiness to advance innovative housing solutions.”
City Council member Ju’Coby Pittman lauded the project, which is planned in her district.
“District 10 has been forgotten for a long time, and I would say since our mayor has been in office, those areas that have had disparities are now getting attention,” Pittman said.
The city has taken several steps in recent years to add more affordable housing in Jacksonville.
In March, city lawmakers and Deegan’s administration committed $2 million from the State Housing Initiatives Partnership to 10 affordable, single-family homes reserved for very low-income homebuyers.
Just a few weeks ago, City Council added 14 more surplus city-owned properties to a list of sites deemed suitable for nonprofit developers to build affordable housing. .
“We are growing. We are thriving. And that growth has a cost: Housing prices have climbed faster than a lot of families’ paychecks,” Deegan said. “So we need to act with urgency and creativity to find innovative solutions. That’s why we are here today. The Jacksonville Starter Home Initiative is about proving that manufactured housing isn’t a compromise. It isn’t a last resort. It’s a smart, modern, dignified path to homeownership.”
