New York State is moving forward with a new strategy to build affordable homes faster and cheaper — an expansion of its pilot “CrossMod” housing initiative that officials say could open doors to homeownership for more working- and middle-class residents.
The MOVE-IN NY program, announced by Homes and Community Renewal, will provide $50 million in zero-interest, partially forgivable loans to help municipalities, land banks, and nonprofit developers purchase, deliver, and install a new generation of factory-built homes known as CrossMods.
What are CrossMods?
CrossMod homes are hybrid, single-family houses built to federal manufactured housing standards but designed to look and perform like traditional site-built homes. They are eligible for conventional mortgages through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and can be appraised alongside neighboring stick-built properties.
Each model includes familiar features — porches, garages, full basements or crawlspaces, and modern finishes—but at roughly half the cost of conventional construction. During the state’s pilot projects in Syracuse, Schenectady, and Newcomb, the homes averaged just over $250,000 and were completed in under six months, about three times faster than typical home builds.
That speed and cost efficiency are central to the state’s goal of replenishing housing supply at a time when rising construction costs and high interest rates have pushed ownership further out of reach.
How MOVE-IN NY works
Under the new program, HCR will select up to 15 municipalities, land banks, or nonprofit housing groups to participate. Applicants must have site control of at least ten build-ready lots within a single municipality, demonstrate local support, and pass a municipal resolution affirming that CrossMod homes are permitted under local codes without special-use permits.
The state will supply participants with a list of pre-qualified CrossMod manufacturers and a menu of base-model designs. Limited customization is allowed, but the goal is to streamline production, bulk purchasing, and delivery to hold down costs.
Loans provided through MOVE-IN NY will carry 0% interest, and portions can be forgiven to cover appraisal gaps or bring down purchase prices for qualified buyers earning between 70% and 130% of area median income. Homes will be subject to a 10-year resale restriction to maintain long-term affordability.
Why it matters
State housing officials say the MOVE-IN model could make homeownership attainable for thousands of New Yorkers priced out of the market. By using factory-built methods, communities can deliver homes in half the time and for half the price of a typical development.
For municipalities and land banks, the pre-approved vendor list and simplified funding process eliminate much of the red tape that slows down small-scale development. For buyers, the inclusion of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac financing standards gives them access to conventional mortgages—something rarely possible with manufactured housing.
Potential shortcomings
The MOVE-IN NY initiative is not without limits. At full scale, the program will produce only a few hundred homes statewide — modest compared to the tens of thousands needed each year to meet demand.
Local resistance could also be a barrier. Many zoning codes still restrict or stigmatize manufactured housing, and the program depends on local governments adopting formal resolutions to participate.
Finally, while the state’s funding covers construction and installation, it does not pay for land acquisition or major infrastructure upgrades. That could exclude smaller or rural municipalities that lack shovel-ready sites or resources to prepare them.
The bottom line
MOVE-IN NY represents one of New York’s most practical steps yet toward bridging the affordability gap in homeownership. It leverages manufacturing efficiency, flexible financing, and local partnerships to prove a concept: that modern prefab housing can look like — and live like — traditional homes at a fraction of the cost.
But as housing advocates note, the initiative’s reach will depend on how quickly communities embrace the CrossMod model and how much state support follows to scale it beyond a pilot phase.
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