Rural Housing Coalition of NY

06/03/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸?

Graduate architecture students at the University at Buffalo, working with the Rural Housing Coalition of New York and supported by an AARP Community Challenge Grant, spent a semester trying to answer that question. Their final report takes a deep dive into a housing type that too often gets overlooked.

A few things stand out:

* 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹. In rural NYS communities, manufactured and pre-1976 mobile homes make up roughly 10% of the housing stock. One in five residents is 55 or older. This isn’t a marginal housing type – it’s a key component of rural affordability and aging in place.

* 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱. The report makes clear that design problems and financing problems are inseparable. Existing manufactured homes are often energy-inefficient and poorly suited for older adults. But even well-designed homes can fail residents financially if they're titled as personal property and financed through chattel loans with higher interest rates and no equity-building potential. For seniors on fixed incomes, that’s more than an inconvenience – it's a debt trap.

* 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹. The student teams developed four focused prototype directions - climate resilience, durability, energy efficiency, and universal design - with construction details, cost-benefit framing, and a clear-eyed look at what's achievable within HUD Code constraints and factory economics. Features included flood elevation, metal rainscreen systems, ductless mini-splits, no-step entries, and curbless showers designed so homes will age gracefully with their residents.

* 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻.
The sections on resident-owned communities (ROCs), CrossMod titling, and the "Duty to Serve" mandate are a solid primer for anyone working at the intersection of manufactured housing, CDFI lending, and rural homeownership preservation.

For affordable housing developers – especially those working with older adult populations in rural and small-town markets – this report is a useful resource for stakeholders in both the private and public sectors.

The full report from the UB School of Architecture and Planning / Rural Housing Coalition of New York, May 2026 is available on our website.https://ruralhousing.org/wp-content/uploads/Senior-Friendly-Manufactured-Housing-2026.pdf

05/01/2026

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀

University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning students presented their designs for dignified, safe, climate-ready, and universally designed manufactured homes for older adults in rural New York.

The presentation was the culmination of a semester-long project developed in partnership with the Rural Housing Coalition of New York and funded through an AARP Community Change grant. It was held at the University at Albany ETEC Building and attended by architects, rural housing providers, and staff from the New York State Homes & Community Renewal.

Students worked directly with manufacturers and advocacy organizations to develop practical, innovative solutions to one of the state's most overlooked housing challenges.

Many manufactured homes occupied by rural seniors are aging, energy inefficient, structurally unsafe, and lack accessibility features. This project directly addresses that gap by reimagining low-cost manufactured housing with universal design principles, climate resilience, and the needs of older adults in mind.

04/27/2026

𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿-𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭

This spring, students from the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning have been working with a committee formed by the Rural Housing Coalition of New York to tackle one of the most overlooked design challenges in the state: How do we create dignified, safe, climate-ready, and universally designed homes for older adults living in manufactured housing? This is a critical issue because many mobile homes are aging, unsafe, energy inefficient, and not accessible.

Through a Community Change grant from AARP, the Rural Housing Coalition partnered with UB to rethink the future of low-cost housing for rural seniors— and is working directly with manufacturers and advocacy organizations to help make those ideas happen.

UB students will be presenting their designs on Friday, May 1st from 9:30 am to noon at the University at Albany's ETEC Building, room B007, State Office Harriman Campus. If you are interested in attending this final presentation at the University at Albany, please RSVP to Nicholas Rajkovich [email protected] .

Pictured: Students at the Champion Home Builders, Inc. manufacturing facility site visit in Sangerfield, NY.

03/25/2026

SAVE THE DATE! Senior-friendly Manufactured Housing Prototypes Studio in Albany!

May 1, 2026
9:30 AM to Noon
ETEC Building, Room B007, Harriman Campus
Hosted by: Rural Housing Coalition of New York, the University at Buffalo, and the University at Albany

This spring, students from the School of Architecture and Planning - University at Buffalo have been working with a committee formed by the Rural Housing Coalition of New York to tackle one of the most overlooked design challenges in the state: How do we create dignified, safe, climate-ready, and universally designed homes for older adults living in manufactured housing? This is a critical issue because many mobile homes are aging, unsafe, energy inefficient, and not accessible. Through a Community Change Grant sponsored by AARP, this studio has been rethinking the future of low-cost housing for rural seniors—and working directly with manufacturers and advocacy organizations to help make those ideas happen. If you are interested in attending this final presentation at the University at Albany, please RSVP to Nicholas Rajkovich ([email protected]). We hope you will be able to join us! (Pictured: Students at the Champion Homes manufacturing facility site visit in Sangerfield, NY.)

03/07/2026

We're pushing back against cuts to rural housing groups - you can hear more on WAMC Northeast Public Radio, the NY Public News Network and affiliates.

“There are areas like Western New York and the Hudson Valley and the Capital Region that don't have a nonprofit housing entity that residents can go to for assistance with housing issues, so we're looking to expand the coverage,” said Mike Borges of the Rural Housing Coalition.

We are also concerned about proposed cuts to other programs, like Access to Home and RESTORE/HOPE programs, which help low-to-moderate income disabled and senior homeowners with accessibility modifications and emergency repairs.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget proposes a 33% cut to the Rural Preservation Program, which funds Rural Preservation Companies, or RPCs.

03/02/2026

Rural communities across NY are facing a housing crisis — and the Rural Housing Coalition raised the issue at the Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Housing in Albany. We urged the Legislature to restore cuts to key programs that help low-income residents, seniors, and people with disabilities access safe, affordable housing. Key asks include:

✅ Restore funding for the Rural Preservation Program & add 4 new Rural Preservation Companies to underserved areas
✅ Reinstate the Small Rental Development Initiative & USDA 515 Preservation Program
✅ Expand the RESTORE program to keep seniors safely in their homes
✅ Increase Affordable Housing Corporation funding to $30M
✅ Fund the NY Main Street Program at $10M

Watch video of Executive Director Mike Borges' remarks or read his testimony with the links in the comments.

02/17/2026

RHC Executive Director Michael Borges presenting at NYS Association of Towns Conference in NYC on Tuesday, February 17th on the topic of Housing Needs Assessments.

02/05/2026

𝐀𝐀𝐑𝐏 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝
After receiving an AARP grant in 2025, RHC partnered with the School of Architecture and Planning - University at Buffalo to organize student visits to the Champion Homes manufacturing facility in Sangerfield, NY, as well as nearby mobile home parks. These visits were designed to help students understand how mobile homes are built and to observe real-life living environments, particularly in communities with seniors and people with disabilities. By witnessing both the construction process and the daily challenges faced by residents, students gained valuable insights into accessibility barriers and practical solutions. The students are expected to submit design concepts by May to be reviewed by a committee of housing experts.

01/12/2026

RHC Executive Director Michael Borges met with state legislators on 2026 Budget/Legislative Priorities on Monday, January 12th. RHC's budget/legislative priorities were modified based on constructive feedback from Legislators. View those priorities as a PDF here -https://ruralhousing.org/wp-content/uploads/2026-BudgetandLegislative-Priorities-1.pdf .

10/15/2025

Why has residential insurance skyrocketed for New York property owners, and how does this affect affordability in rural areas? The NYS Senate has scheduled a public hearing in November and expects to release a report on its findings. "We can make the programs more cost-effective and efficient," said RHC Executive Director Mike Borges, adding that housing is a “priority for New York residents and across the country and it's something that the elected officials still need to address.” Read more at NY State of Politics - https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-of-politics/new-york/politics/2025/10/10/n-y--senators-to-probe-rising-insurance-rates-for-property-owners