Move-in MA RFI - Municipalities - External.pdf

THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HOUSING

AND LIVABLE COMMUNITIES

100 CAMBRIDGE STREET

BOSTON, MA 02108

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

for Move-in Massachusetts

ISSUED DATE: JULY 28, 2026

PROJECT NAME: MOVE-IN MASSACHUSETTS

COMMBUYS BID #: HLC0000126

AGENCY: EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND LIVABLE COMMUNITIES

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. Respondents to this Request for Information (“RFI”) are invited to respond to any or all of the questions in this document. Responses to this RFI shall serve solely to assist the

Commonwealth in understanding the current state of the marketplace with regards to the solicited information or to inform the development of a possible Request for Response (“RFR”) or other form of procurement, also referred to as a solicitation, in the future. This RFI does not in any way obligate the Commonwealth to issue or amend a solicitation or to include any of the RFI provisions or responses in any solicitation. Responding to this RFI is entirely voluntary and will in no way affect the Commonwealth’s consideration of any proposal submitted in response to any subsequent solicitation, nor will it serve as an advantage or disadvantage to the respondent in the course of any procurement that may be subsequently issued or amended.

Updated V4 0725

1. Purpose of RFI

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (“HLC”), is seeking responses to this Request for

Information (“RFI”) to gather information to assist in the development of a potential pilot program to support the installation of manufactured or modular single family homes in the Commonwealth (Move-In MA) from municipalities and other community partners that either own or have identified sites that may be well suited for such a program. To help inform responses, this RFI describes how the new program could work and how municipalities could get involved to support cost effective homeownership opportunities in their communities. If you are interested in submitting a response to this RFI, please read through the instructions and then complete the Move-In MA response form by August 28, 2026. This RFI is essential to determining demand and viability for launching the program later in 2026.

Background on Move-in MA

Inspired by the efforts of Move-In NY, HLC is exploring whether a similar program (Move-In MA) could work well in Massachusetts. The goal of the program would be to expand homeownership opportunities for households earning 70-130% AMI through the use of innovative housing production models. The end result would be attractive single-family ranch-style homes in residential neighborhoods with existing public water and wastewater systems, or areas where infrastructure upgrades can be made in a reasonably economic way. The program would be intended to provide new housing stock to communities where production of housing affordable for these income levels is infeasible without substantial additional subsidies. The homes produced through Move-In MA would likely be CrossMod® homes or a similarly constructed modular home. CrossMods® are manufactured homes that are built in a factory and installed via a crane on a permanent foundation and meet certain criteria that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have determined make them comparable to traditional homes in several respects – including for appraisal, expected appreciation, and access to traditional mortgage lending products or equivalents. A standard CrossMod® is about 1,500 square feet, with three bedrooms, two baths, a driveway and a garage or Car Port, owned along with the land underneath like a traditional site-built home.

CrossMods® are built to high standards of quality, energy efficiency and resilience to ensure comfort, durability, and energy-efficiency. They are appraised against site-built homes and financeable via conventional lenders through Fannie Mae’s MH Advantage® program and Freddie Mac’s CHOICEHome® program. The New York program relies on the use of CrossMod® homes, which are necessarily “manufactured homes” built to the Federal

Manufactured Housing HUD code (24 CFR 3280) as opposed to the otherwise applicable building code. It is https://forms.mass.gov/eohlc/form/65/ possible HLC could ultimately design a program that includes modular dwellings of similar size and quality that would meet the latest building code standards instead of CrossMods®.

How the program would work

For the purposes of this RFI, please assume Move-in MA would work as follows:

1. After the program is announced, a developer (non-profit or for-profit) with site control and a formal letter of municipal support would apply to the program for financial assistance to purchase a CrossMod® or modular dwelling unit.

2. Financial assistance would be prioritized for applicants with sites that are as ready to build on as possible (zoning in place, adequate infrastructure, site preparedness, minimal barriers which would delay production).

3. Financial assistance would likely take the form of a 0% loan to the developer to purchase a CrossMod® or modular unit and to do any final site work needed.

4. When the site and the home are ready, the home would be delivered and installed on the foundation using a crane. Generally, homes are completed and ready for occupancy about three months after delivery.

5. The developer would then sell the home to an income-eligible homebuyer, targeting incomes of 70-130%

AMI.

6. Proceeds from that sale (or a portion thereof) are returned to the program to be used to support additional projects.

Additional details

7. HLC is most interested in learning about sites where infrastructure and site preparation needs are less than $50,000/home built. This could include site grading, septic installation, well installation, utility hookup extensions, or other similar infrastructure improvements needed to make the site ready for a foundation and CrossMod® installation.

8. HLC is seeking information on sites where a developer could have site control within 3 months of being awarded financial assistance, either through a private sale, land donation, or previous ownership.

9. HLC anticipates prioritizing sites where at least 5 homes could be installed on the same site or adjacent sites, to save on labor and logistical costs.

10. All CrossMod® homes are, definitionally, “manufactured homes” under federal law and HUD regulations, but need to meet additional specifications and certification requirements to earn that designation. These specifications are included in this informational document published by Freddie Mac, while this document uses the term “CHOICEHome®,” please understand that the applicable standards are identical; the “CHOICEHome®” mortgage product was developed to help finance CrossMod® homes. While CrossMod®/CHOICEHome® units are similar to site-built homes in most respects, respondents should confirm with relevant stakeholders, such as a planning board or town counsel, as to whether zoning or other municipal regulations would make siting CrossMods® infeasible in your community.

11. HLC is open to feedback and ideas on how a Move-In MA program would need to be structured to be responsive to the specific needs of interested communities. At this time, HLC is considering a potential pilot of around 10-20 homes and so would likely focus on the sites and municipalities who are most ready to move quickly. If the program expands, additional infrastructure or planning support may be available over time.

2. Information Solicited

Please answer the following questions as best you are able to.

Section 1 – municipal overview.

12. What is your name?

13. What is your email?

14. Which municipality do you represent or are you commenting on?

15. What is your position?

Section 2 – site details. We are trying to gather as much information as possible to determine how viable this site might be. Answer as many questions as you can, but you can write ‘I don’t know’ or leave a question blank if you can’t track down that information.

16. What is the address for the property you think could be a fit for this program?

17. Who owns the property?

18. What would it take to get site control to a developer to build homes on it through this program? How long might that take?

19. What is the approximate size of the property in acres?

20. Is the property zoned to accommodate single-family homes?

21. Yes, as of right

22. Yes, by special permit

23. No

24. Other ___

25. How many single-family lots can fit on this property under the applicable zoning and subdivision rules?

26. Is the property vacant and ready for installation of a new home?

27. Yes, with minimal site work

28. Yes, with substantial site work https://sf.freddiemac.com/docs/pdf/fact-sheet/choiceonepager.pdf

29. Installation of a new home would require demolition of existing structures

30. Does the site have even grading and little to no slope? If the site does not have even grading, could even grading be achieved at minimal cost?

31. Does the property have access to both public water and wastewater systems? If you know how far the mains are from the property boundary, please indicate.

32. Does the property have access to electricity through an established power company? If you know how close the power lines are to the property boundary, please indicate.

33. Does the property have access to phone and internet connections through an established telephone and internet service provider?

34. Are there any obstacles that would make it difficult for a crane to reach the site from an Interstate Highway exit and lower a home onto the site?

35. Is the site on a paved road?

36. Yes, it is on a paved road

37. No, it is on a gravel road

38. No, it is on a dirt road

39. No, it has no access from a public right of way

40. Is the site in a flood zone? How much of it, and does this include the area where you would intend to place homes?

41. Are wetlands present on the site or an adjacent parcel? If so, describe the type of wetland and explain how it affects the ability to place homes on the site.

42. What is the width of the property in feet? For purposes of this response, the property's width is generally the same number of feet as its main road frontage? If the entire width does not have road frontage, indicate how much road frontage it has.

43. What is the approximate depth of the parcel in feet? For purposes of the response, the depth of the parcel represents the length of the parcel from the road to the back of the property line.

44. What are the advantages of the site, if any, from the perspective of a future homebuyer?

45. What are the disadvantages of the site, if any, from the perspective of a future homebuyer?

46. Who owns the land currently? If you own the land, was it acquired through tax title? Are there any hurdles to transferring the land to a developer and ultimately a homeowner in a short timeframe?

47. If the land has a cost, how much would you estimate the cost might be?

48. Would you waive (or otherwise pay for, at no cost to the family) the connection fees for water and/or wastewater service? If any connection fees for water and/or wastewater will be assessed, approximately how much will they be?

49. As explained above, this program would likely target households earning 70%-130% AMI, to what extent would your community seek to further subsidize the unit by utilizing local funding (e.g. municipal affordable housing trust fund) to restrict households to a particular AMI, term of years, or in perpetuity?

50. What else can you tell us about the site that would help us understand the potential benefits and challenges of including it in a Move-In MA pilot?

3. Response Submission Instructions

All responses to this RFI are due at 11:59 PM on August 28, 2026. Responses must be submitted electronically via the Move-In MA response form.

There will be a zoom call on August 12th at 11 am est to share more about the program and answer any questions you may have. Please register for the August 12 information session.

Please email Philip.dearing@mass.gov with any additional questions or information as needed.

4. General RFI Information

A. Additional Information

HLC retains the right to request additional information from Respondents. HLC may, at its sole discretion, elect to request formal presentations from certain Respondents and/or create a procurement which will include the detailed requirements and key success criteria for the procurement and be based, at least in part, on the responses received from this RFI. HLC may request further explanation or clarification from any and all Respondents during the review process.

B. Use of RFI Information

Please note that this RFI is issued solely for the purpose of obtaining information. The RFI does not obligate HLC to issue a procurement nor to include any of the RFI provisions or responses in any procurement. No part of the response to this RFI can be returned. Receipt of RFI responses will not be acknowledged.

Information received in response to this RFI shall serve solely to assist the Commonwealth. No information received in response to this RFI is binding on the Commonwealth or any of its agencies.

Responding to this RFI is voluntary and will not affect consideration of any proposal submitted in response to any subsequent procurement or solicitation. Nothing in this RFI and no action taken during the review process shall be interpreted as a commitment on the part of the Commonwealth, HLC or its constituent agencies to enter into a contract with any Respondent or to conduct any procurement.

Responses to this RFI become the property of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, become public records and are subject to the Massachusetts Public Records law, M.G.L. c.66, §10 and M.G.L. c.4, §7, subsection 26. Any statements in submitted responses that are inconsistent with these statutes will be disregarded.

Respondents should not display the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Seal in their response or subsequent marketing materials if they are awarded a contract pursuant to a subsequent procurement and/or contract, because use of the coat of arms and the Great Seal of the Commonwealth for advertising or commercial purposes is prohibited by law.

Respondents with disabilities or hardships that seek reasonable accommodation, which may include the receipt of RFI information in an alternative format, must communicate such requests in writing to EOHLC.

https://forms.mass.gov/eohlc/form/65/ https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1_w0rC0MSqO9SoPny-neSA mailto:Philip.dearing@mass.gov

Requests for accommodation will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. EOHLC reserves the right to reject unreasonable requests.

C. Electronic Distribution

This RFI has been distributed electronically using the Commonwealth Procurement Access and Solicitation

System (COMMBUYS). COMMBUYS is an electronic mechanism used for advertising and distributing the

Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ procurements and related files. No individual may alter (manually or electronically) the RFI or its components except those portions intended to collect the respondent’s response. All respondents are responsible for reviewing and adhering to all information and requirements for the entire RFI, which are all incorporated therein. Respondents may also contact the Operational

Services Division (“OSD”) Help Desk at OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov or the OSD Helpline at 1-888-MA-STATE for assistance with responding to the RFI. The Help Desk is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through

Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal, state and Suffolk County holidays.

D. RFI Amendments

Interested parties are solely responsible for checking COMMBUYS for any addenda or modifications that are subsequently made to this RFI. The Commonwealth and its subdivisions accept no liability and will provide no accommodation to interested parties who fail to check for amended RFIs.

E. Costs

All costs incurred in responding to this RFI, or in support of activities associated with this RFI, shall be the sole responsibility of respondents. HLC shall not be held responsible for any costs incurred in preparing your response to this RFI.

mailto:OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov