State Offers $10 Million for Modular and Manufactured Starter Homes Under 'Move-In Mass'

The Healey-Driscoll administration on Thursday launched Move-In Mass, a program that will make $10 million in MassHousing financing available to developers who build starter homes using manufactured, modular or other lower-cost construction methods, according to the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

The program is expected to support at least 20 homes in its first round. The financing is designed to be repaid through home sales and reinvested in future housing developments, the administration said. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Juana Matías announced the program at Blueberry Hill Estates in Sturbridge, a manufactured housing community where officials toured homes built with the methods the program aims to encourage.

"Buying your first home should be an exciting milestone, but for too many people in Massachusetts, it feels out of reach," Gov. Maura Healey said in a prepared statement. "We want more people to have the opportunity to put down roots, build equity and raise their families right here in Massachusetts."

Driscoll said the program "gives us another tool to work with communities and developers to build quality homes at lower costs and help more families achieve the dream of homeownership."

MassHousing will accept proposals from across the state for detached single-family homes, townhouses and duplexes. It will work with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to award financing to qualified developers whose projects are ready to move forward, according to the announcement.

Proposals will be judged on their ability to lower construction costs, reduce the need for subsidies, shorten development timelines and return financing to support future projects. The administration said the approach is meant to build quality homes at lower cost while reducing reliance on state subsidies, so that public money can support more housing over time.

The affordability terms are specific. At least 20 percent of the homes in each project must be affordable to first-time homebuyers earning no more than 80 percent of the area median income, and those affordability restrictions must remain in place for 15 years. Eligible affordable homes may receive subsidies of up to $150,000 per unit when needed to close the gap between development costs and appraised values or to meet affordability requirements, the announcement said.

The administration said the program will put particular emphasis on manufactured and modular homes built on permanent foundations, including CrossMod homes, which it described as combining the cost efficiencies of manufactured housing with features of traditional single-family homes. It said those methods can reduce costs while meeting building requirements and mortgage financing standards.

MassHousing and the housing office said they will work with developers, manufacturers and municipalities to identify participation and project opportunities around the state. The request for proposals opened Thursday. Responses are due Feb. 25, 2027, and awards are expected to be announced in April 2027.

The launch was one of several administration announcements on Thursday. According to State Affairs, the governor's office also announced $5 million to make it easier and less expensive to build accessory dwelling units, $1.75 million to promote safe social media use and support student mental health, and $2 million in apprenticeship grants.

The ADU announcement is a companion housing effort. According to the state, the $5 million Community ADU Pilot Program, administered by the Massachusetts Housing Partnership, will provide grants to qualified affordable-housing developers to build 20 to 30 income-restricted accessory dwelling units on properties they control. It sits alongside existing state programs for homeowners: the Massachusetts Housing Partnership's $10 million ADU Incentive Program, whose first phase offers feasibility studies for up to $500 and whose second phase is designed to fund eligible costs that block construction, and a MassHousing loan program that offers construction financing of up to $250,000 for a detached ADU or $150,000 for an attached unit to income-eligible homeowners with permits and plans.

The Sturbridge event drew a short notice in the State House schedule published by MASSterList, which listed the lieutenant governor's appearance at Blueberry Hill Estates at 30 Main St. and described the initiative as one meant to "expand homeownership opportunities by supporting innovative, cost-effective housing construction methods." The event was scheduled for 11 a.m. The administration's announcement was also published by the Massachusetts Municipal Association, whose members include all 351 cities and towns in the state. Municipalities are among the partners MassHousing and the housing office said they will work with to identify projects.