Manufactured housing, coming to a suburb near you

Changes to legislation in several states have made once-stigmatized manufactured homes — also known as factory-built homes — easier to build. Developers are starting to expand their operations from rural areas and trailer parks to suburbs, where traditional starter homes can be prohibitively expensive.

Julie Z. Weil, a reporter with The Washington Post, said some advocates told her manufactured homes could be a solution to the housing affordability crisis.

“These standard suburban subdivisions, where you're going to build the whole neighborhood in a factory, that's pretty new,” Weil said.

“Marketplace” host Amy Scott spoke with Weil about her reporting on the rise of factory-built housing in American suburbs.

Click the audio player above to hear their conversation.