Fort Erwin, California, Family Housing Comparison Test: Operation and Maintenance Costs of Manufactured versus Conventionally Built Units

Congress directed the construction of 200 units of manufactured/factory-built housing at Fort Irwin, CA, in 1982 to see if this method of construction will cost less than conventional housing, yet still provide durable housing commensurate with contempory housing standards. Congress directed the Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct a study to compare the operation and maintenance (O&M) costs of manufactured housing and conventional housing. DOD will report to Congressional committees on the conditions and parameters under which this test was conducted and the results of the test after it is completed in FY88. To compare these two types of construction properly, DOD must be able to identify differences in O&M costs and the reasons for those differences. This report is the first of four interim reports on the progress of the study. A yearly summary will be provided by USA-CERL for each of FY87. A final report covering the first 5 years of O&M costs will be written at the end of FY88. No conclusions or inferences should be made as to which type of construction was lowest cost until the final 5-year summary is complete.