Many have long held the assumption that mobile homes don’t increase in value — or, at the very least, they rise in value at a much slower rate than traditional homes.

But recent data suggests the opposite is true — and that could have major implications in the push for increased affordable housing nationwide.

A new report from the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.–based think tank, examined data released in August by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The home price index for manufactured homes (also known as mobile homes) featured an average annual growth rate of 3.4%, versus 3.8% for traditional, site-built homes.

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