OCHI - Frequently Asked Questions

About Us/Our Mission > Frequently Asked Questions About Our Homeownership Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the Infill Homeownership Initiative?

A: The Infill Homeownership Initiative (IHI) is a creative new effort by Oakland Community Housing, Inc. (OCHI) to find feasible ways to develop affordable housing in the Oakland area. OCHI replaces often-blighted vacant lots, that are typically too small to interest most developers, with attractive homes that allow local residents who have low or moderate incomes to become first-time homebuyers. Each project also helps improve the quality of its surrounding neighborhood.

Q: How do Infill Homeownership projects work?

A: OCHI finds scattered vacant sites that would normally be cost-prohibitive to build on and then uses an innovative construction technology, called manufactured housing, to decrease costs and construction time. The manufactured homes are built largely off-site, which results in much lower start-up costs, and then are sent to the local site and finished on the permanent foundation. In some instances OCHI is building single-family homes, and in others OCHI is building multi-unit town homes.

Q: What is “manufactured housing”?

A: There are many different types of manufactured housing. In this case, the homes are built primarily in factories, using the same construction techniques and materials found in traditional houses. The homes are then shipped in sections to the home site, where they are installed on a permanent foundation and exterior finishing elements are applied.

Q: How do these manufactured homes differ from mobile homes?

A: While mobile homes also are considered “manufactured”, they are not installed on a permanent foundation and are considered personal property. The manufactured homes developed by OCHI are installed permanently, and are considered real property. The new home – and the land it sits on – becomes the property of the owner.

Q: What are the advantages of a manufactured home over a home built on-site?

A: A manufactured home can be less expensive and built more quickly than a home built on-site. By building several homes at once in a factory, there is an economy of scale both price-wise and time-wise. Manufactured homes also come with warranties that site-built homes might not offer.

Q: How can I use my Section 8 voucher toward making my monthly housing payments?

A: If a person is receiving Section 8 rental assistance through the Oakland Housing Authority, they may be able to join in the OHA's Section 8 Homeownership Program. This program allows people to apply their monthly Section 8 rent subsidy (voucher) toward their mortgage payment for a period of years. Unfortunately, interested parties who are not already Section 8 tenants are not able to use this program.

In order to use the Section 8 voucher program, the potential buyer must already be a Section 8 voucher holder and be approved through that program to be able to convert their rental voucher to a homeownership voucher. Voucher holders in Oakland should contact the Section 8 Homeownership Program at (510) 874-1528 for more information.

Q: Who manufactures the pre-fabricated units?

A: The two companies OCHI has worked with are Marlette Homes and Fuqua Homes. However, we suggest that people who are interested in building manufactured homes contact the California Manufactured Housing Institute www.cmhi.org for more information about manufacturers. Our development staff strongly recommends that prospective builders do their own research to determine who can provide the best product for their particular needs and goals.