The Rexel Foundation supports the development of Next Step to facilitate home ownership for lower-income homebuyers in the US

Since 2013, the Group and its American banners committed to support one of the social entrepreneurs from the international network Ashoka: Stacey Epperson. The Ashoka Fellow, founder of Next Step, aims to replace some of the millions of mobile homes in the United States, which are highly precarious and energy-consuming dwellings, with sustainable and eco-efficient factory-built homes.

Implementation

Less expensive to buy than traditional houses, factory-built homes often generate high energy bills. Indeed, the share of income spend on energy bills of residents of manufactured homes is 30% higher than the average American household and 66% more than owners of site-built homes.

In partnership with US manufactured housing builders and lenders, NextStep offers an affordable modular ENERGY STAR labeled factory-built housing solution.

Objectives

• Offer homebuyers energy-efficient, quality manufactured housing solutions;
• Facilitate home ownership for low-income households;
• Help improve manufactured houses buyers’ financial education and budgeting skills.

Results

• Three demonstrations of Zero Energy Ready Manufactured Homes are currently in process.
• 310 ENERGY STAR manufactured homes have been purchased in Kentucky.
• Better loan conditions aim to boost the growth of the manufactured housing market.

Next Step’s development has a positive impact on its end users and on the ecosystem:

• Over 1,500 homeowners have bought or preserved their manufactured homes through Next Step programs.
• Next Step Network grew to 94 total members, including 51 nonprofit affordable housing providers, 33 manufactured housing retailers, 9 lenders, and 1 manufactured housing community owner.
• Over 1,000 homebuyers have been referred to nonprofit counselors and 50 are enrolled in counseling.
• Next Step launched the first homebuyer education curriculum for buyers of manufactured homes on “eHome America”.

Find out more about Next Step

Next Step Network mobilizes a national network of mission-driven nonprofits, leaders in the manufactured housing industry, and lending institutions serving home buyers and homeowners in their communities.

Next Step’s system – Manufactured Housing Done Right® – connects responsible financing, comprehensive homebuyer education, and delivery of high-quality, ENERGY STAR® manufactured homes at scale, creating a model that brings more value to the customer.