British Government Turning to Modular to Solve Housing Crisis

The British government has announced a new affordable homes program that is set to change the way properties are built in the country with many being largely constructed off-site, a technique used widely in continental Europe and India.

Typical British Modular Construction

The first phase of the $39 billion (US$) program has been confirmed with an overall target to deliver 165,000 new affordable homes over three years from 2015. Brandon Lewis, Housing Minister said the focus on new technology would provide high quality homes and help the sector achieve the fastest rate of affordable house building for 20 years. Predictions are that 20% of these new homes will be prefab or modular. That’s at least 11,000 new modular or prefab homes a year.

At the rate the US uses modular, that number would only be 1,650. Disgusting.

191 providers have been earmarked for funding and the new homes will be delivered across England with almost a third in London. “House building is an essential part of this government’s long term economic plan. That’s why we have designed an ambitious new scheme to build affordable homes at the fastest rate for 20 years, which will support 165,000 jobs in construction and sustain thousands of small businesses,” he said.

In order to achieve this rate of construction, modular or prefab, widely used in Europe and India is being adopted which involves off-site factory construction of the major parts of each home which are then assembled on site.