Veteran to advance policies on affordable, modernized manufactured housing
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has named Teresa Payne as the new deputy assistant secretary (DAS) for the Office of Manufactured Housing Programs (OMHP).
Payne (pictured) will lead HUD’s efforts to develop and enforce policies that support the manufactured housing industry and work to ensure that safe, affordable, and quality manufactured homes are accessible across the country.
Payne brings a wealth of experience to the role, having spent 28 years at HUD. She started as a legal honors intern in HUD’s Office of General Counsel and has taken on several key positions over the years, including director of Housing’s Office of Business Development and associate DAS for Regulatory Affairs and Manufactured Housing.
Most recently, she served as OMHP’s administrator, where she led the office through two HUD Code updates and oversaw its transition to becoming an independent office within HUD’s Office of Housing.
Payne’s appointment comes at a crucial time, following HUD’s recent rollout of the most extensive updates to manufactured housing standards in over three decades. The new standards, announced in September, are part of a broader HUD initiative to modernize manufactured housing, making it a more viable option for affordable homeownership amid the nation’s ongoing housing crisis.
HUD’s new standards include 90 updates and additions covering various aspects of manufactured homes, from open floor plans and energy-efficient appliances to modernized roof designs. The changes also expand options for multi-family housing, allowing manufactured homes with up to four units.
To expedite implementation, HUD’s Office of Manufactured Housing Programs has issued an "Alternative Construction Letter," permitting manufacturers to start building multi-unit homes immediately without waiting for the new standards to be fully enforced.
Read more: HUD modernizes manufactured homes with major rule changes
Payne’s appointment followed the addition of seven new members to HUD’s Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee, which offers insights to improve support for homebuyers, renters, and homeowners in underserved communities.
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