Resident programs
Next Step Network
Next Step is a nationally operating nonprofit working to make factory-built homes a practical, sustainable route to homeownership. It works through partners - nonprofit housing organisations, developers, housing counsellors, lenders and affordable housing advocates - rather than selling homes to the public itself, under a model it calls Manufactured Housing Done Right.
Next Step Homes, its social enterprise, brings ENERGY STAR or Department of Energy Efficient New Homes to community and subdivision projects. Its consulting and development services cover project feasibility and design, market and affordability analysis, home specifications and sourcing, pre-development, zoning and construction planning, presentations to planning commissions and zoning boards, assembling the development team, floor plan selection and pricing, project financing plans, construction management, developer and housing counsellor training, homebuyer education and counselling, marketing and community outreach, and a preferred lender network for factory-built homes. In partnership with Clayton it can add subdivision engineering design, infrastructure development and turnkey home construction.
Education runs in two directions. Train-the-trainer curriculum helps housing counsellors integrate factory-built housing into existing programmes, with on-site training, webinars and an online toolbox. MH101 webinars, toolkits and strategic coaching help organisations treat factory-built housing as a new line of business. The GroundWork Developer Academy trains developers, and consumer tools include Down Payment Seeker and the TotalHome+ Calculator. Next Step was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2011 and publishes annual reports going back to 2018.
Stated goals for the end of 2026 include reaching 250,000 homebuyers with information on factory-built housing, opening in 20 new markets through zoning changes, having DOE Efficient New Homes available in five markets, and being on a path to delivering one home each day. The office is on Royal Avenue in Louisville.
Best for
Nonprofit developers, housing counsellors, lenders and community owners who want help specifying, financing and selling energy-efficient factory-built homes. It is not a retailer or lender; individual buyers are routed to partners and online tools.
What they do
- Consulting and development services for factory-built housing projects
- Project feasibility, design and market analysis
- Home specifications and sourcing
- Pre-development, zoning and construction planning
- GroundWork Developer Academy training
- Train-the-trainer curriculum for housing counsellors
- MH101 education, webinars and toolkits
- Homebuyer education and counselling
- Preferred lender network for factory-built homes
- Down Payment Seeker and TotalHome+ Calculator tools
Details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Ownership | Nonprofit |
What stands out
- Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2011, with annual reports published from 2018 onward.
- Delivers ENERGY STAR and DOE Efficient New Homes, which it says can save homeowners up to 50% on monthly utilities.
- Works in partnership with Clayton on subdivision engineering design, infrastructure development and turnkey construction.
- Goals for the end of 2026 include reaching 250,000 homebuyers and opening in 20 new markets through zoning changes.