One time conventional home builder, Stacey Epperson once hated ‘mobile homes.’ Now in her leadership role at NextStep, Epperson has embraced them – or more specifically – has discovered the many positive realities found in modern manufactured  homes. Epperson learned the difference between the older pre-HUD Code mobile homes of yesteryear – a number of which indeed had serious issues – versus today’s Energy Star rated manufactured homes.

Epperson has a significant public profile. She has teamed up at times with CFED’s Andrea Levere, Doug Ryan plus Howard Banker at I’m Home and others in the non-profit world to promote the benefits of today’s quality and affordable manufactured homes. One example is the joint Levere/Epperson article,

Hurricane Sandy and the Merits of Manufactured Housing

…which was published in the prestigious East Coast powerhouse, Huffington Post.

Epperson is sharing her vision with the ranks of manufactured housing professionals, at events such as the upcoming Manufactured Housing Institute’s Congress and Expo, as well as on the digital pages of the industry’s leading trade publication, MHProNews.com, with articles such as her recently published Dirty Laundry.

In Dirty Laundry, Epperson makes the case that the 2 million pre-HUD Code mobile homes ought to be replaced by new Energy Star manufactured homes. On NextStep’s website, the reprint of that article has the infographic shown here.

Epperson proposes that 2.2 million jobs would be created by replacing those pre-HUD Code mobile homes with manufactured homes.

Because today’s manufactured homes are far more energy efficient by design, NextStep projects that $10 billion would be saved the first year alone.  That impressive level of savings would be ongoing.

NextStep projects that 4.5 million tons of carbon annually would be avoided through the increased energy savings of the modern factory built homes they have in mind for such an initiative.

Comfort and affordability would be enhanced, once such a campaign is started.

Furthermore, the image of the industry would improve over time, because the older – truly ‘mobile homes’ – would be replaced by today’s appealing, durable and energy saving models.

Affordable Homes Done Right

While the quality of this video is not ideal, the insights it reveals the wisdom behind efforts to advance a wider acceptance of manufactured homes.

When the rich and famous live in modern manufactured homes, surely the middle class and those struggling to join the middle class can too.

In places like Ohio – where the rapidly approaching public Eastern Ohio Home Show is going to take place – home shoppers, politicos and the media will all be able to see why today’s manufactured homes make so much sense.

The event is set for Friday May 16th to Sunday, May 18th, 2014 at the MAPS Air Field and Museum located adjacent to the Akron/Canton Airport in North Canton, Ohio.

 

In New York, Governor Cuomo has declared factory built home week. That state’s manufactured housing association executive director, Nancy Geer, tells ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com that they will be doing yet another “Factory Built Home on the Hill” in May.

In a recent video interview with MHProNews, Chet Murphree with Deer Valley shared insights designed for industry professionals, but which actually are eye opening for the public at large. Murphree says and the video shows just how beautiful, energy saving and super sturdy today’s manufactured homes are.

So while Bloomberg or the New York Times doesn’t quite get it in their recent – and sterotypical – reports, millions of others are being exposed to the facts about the quality, safety, appealing and energy saving manufactured homes.

Stacey Epperson’s NextStep  vision is becoming more mainstream, and for good reasons. ##

(Photo credits, Eastern Ohio Home Show. InfoGraphic, NextStep. People photos: Stacey Epperson, Chet Murphree)