Local builder raises issues with allowing HUD-code housing in residential areas

Provisions to potentially increase the flexibility of housing options in the city of Medford met with pushback from a local builder concerned with reducing standards and potentially negatively impacting property values.

John Mueller spoke with members of the city’s planning commission on Monday about his concern with the potential of the city to allow manufactured housing to be placed in general residential districts.

Currently, manufactured homes in the city are restricted to being placed in either in Mink Capital Terrace or Riverview mobile home communities.

With the change in style and manufacturing techniques for these types of homes, the city is considering loosening the restrictions to provide an opportunity for lower-cost housing options for entry level homeowners as well as those looking to downsize later in life.

Mueller said he became aware of the city’s discussions through coverage in The Star News and given his background in building wanted to share his insight into the issue. He said the median income is Wisconsin is $64,000 which working through standard housing formulas, would make homes in the $200,000 range affordable with mortgage payments of about $1,600 per month. According to federal statistics, the median household income in the city of Medford is $53,173 per year and the median individual income is $35,29, which impacts affordability formulas....   ...more

Ken Notes: We need developers who are building neighborhoods. I`ll bet John eats at local restaurants, drinks local coffee, buys local gas, shops local stores yet he does not want the very people who are taking care of him to live near him. This is a problem! John should be BUILDING the sub 200K units to earn the right to build the 500K+ units...