Cavco Brings First HUD-Code Home Built Without Steel Chassis to the National Mall at IHS 2026
The Grande Arbor on the National Mall.
The Grande Arbor, shown at the 2026 Innovative Housing Showcase, pairs a new way of building with a floor plan designed for multigenerational families.
PHOENIX, AZ, October 2, 2026 – Cavco Industries brought two industry firsts to the 2026 Innovative Housing Showcase on the National Mall Sept. 22–24. The company displayed the first HUD-code manufactured home built without a permanent steel chassis, the Grande Arbor. Its teams also completed the first on-site set of a frameless manufactured home.
The showcase, organized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in partnership with the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), draws policymakers, industry leaders, members of Congress and the public each year.
Dr. Lesli Gooch, CEO of the Manufactured Housing Institute, said, “We’re thrilled by the response we’re hearing about the HUD Code homes on the National Mall at IHS this year. We appreciate Cavco’s leadership in helping showcase what was made possible by the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.”
“We’ve done six of these events, and this one feels different,” said Bill Boor, Cavco President and CEO. “A few years ago, we brought the first HUD-approved duplex, then the first single-section duplex, and both helped nudge HUD to allow duplexes under the HUD Code. Now the ROAD to Housing Act has enabled our first off-chassis home, and showing it to the policymakers who made it possible almost feels historic.”
BONUS: Watch the video below of the first set of a frameless manufactured home.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner shakes hands with Bill Boor, Cavco President and CEO. Behind (center) is U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Eric Coulter, Cavco VP of Sales.
Productive Conversations With Policymakers
Visitors to the Grande Arbor included HUD Secretary Scott Turner, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.) and Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-Md.).
“Cavco has reached an important intersection, moving from what we’ve always done to what we’ll do to improve access to affordable housing,” said Matt Niño, President of Cavco Retail. “That’s at the heart of our ONE Cavco philosophy.”
U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and HUD Secretary Scott Turner talk with Colleen Rogers, Cavco Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications.
“Seeing the off-frame home firsthand was impactful for policymakers,” Gooch said. “That visibility will help reinforce the importance of moving implementation forward as quickly as possible.”
Niño also met with the offices of both New Mexico senators and one of Nevada’s on behalf of the New Mexico Housing Association and MHI. “Every meeting was productive,” he said. “They value what we do, and they asked what I’d like to see in a 2.0 version of the ROAD to Housing Act. Our industry is now part of real conversations, not conjecture.”
Cavco’s own approach hasn’t changed. “Our Cavco home, along with new homes from our industry partners, showed what this industry can do to advance innovation and open new placement opportunities in municipalities that once didn’t allow HUD Code homes,” Niño said.
What the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Changed
For roughly 50 years, federal law required every manufactured home to be built on a permanent steel chassis, the steel frame beneath the floor that supports the home and enables transport. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which became law July 11, 2026, updates the federal definition of a manufactured home to include homes built and set to the HUD-code with or without a permanent chassis.
The law also directs HUD to establish revised construction and safety standards for homes built without one. Its manufactured housing provisions go beyond the chassis:
- Financing: The law expands access to financing for manufactured and modular homes.
- Communities: It authorizes HUD grants to help maintain and stabilize existing manufactured home communities.
- Design: It opens the door to layouts that were difficult under the old definition, including multi-story homes.
- Placement: Allows manufactured homes to be placed in more areas, including traditional neighborhoods, in more cities and municipalities.
Removing the requirement does not end homes built with a chassis. The updated law gives manufacturers the flexibility to choose the design that best fits a particular home, community or homeowner, and HUD’s construction and safety standards still apply.
Dr. Gooch highlighted the importance of HUD officials hearing from industry stakeholders and the demand that exists in bringing the innovative frameless design to market. She cautioned that the HUD Code changes are but one step needed to bring off-frame homes to market and that changes will still need to be made at the state level with regard to statutes, regulations, installation programs, titling laws and administrative procedures.
Watch the flawless first-time ever set of a frameless manufactured home by the Cavco – Martinsville team.
The Grande Arbor
What the Grande Arbor Makes Possible
A home without a permanent chassis can be installed differently, and it can look different once it’s in place. Building this way supports:
- Lower-profile installation, with no steps or ramps required at the entry
- Stronger curb appeal, so homes fit naturally into traditional neighborhoods
- New placement options, including urban and suburban communities that have been hard to serve
- Greater design flexibility, including the potential for multi-story construction
- Less material waste, with steel components available for reuse or recycling
The Grande Arbor was designed and built by the Cavco – Rocky Mount team, working with Cavco Engineering. The Cavco – Martinsville team set the home on the Mall and built out its porch, and completed the first set of a home of this type. A HUD engineer from the department’s Manufactured Housing Program inspected the home’s HUD data plate.
A Floor Plan for How Families Live Now
The Grande Arbor is a home in Cavco’s Studio Collection. The 1,248-square-foot, two-bedroom, 2.5-bath home puts a primary suite at each end, each with its own bathroom and walk-in closet. The kitchen, dining and living areas sit between them.
That layout reflects a growing need. According to the Pew Research Center, about 22% of Americans, more than 74 million people, live in multigenerational households. The National Association of Realtors reports that nearly one in five homes bought in 2024 was purchased for multigenerational use, the highest share on record. Aging parents, adult children returning home and the cost of maintaining separate households are all driving the shift.
“This floor plan was all about creating a space where both bedrooms feel like primary suites,” said Saul Morales, the home’s floor plan designer. “Each suite has its own bathroom, walk-in closet with storage and privacy, with the shared living areas bringing everyone together in the middle.”
