Rethinking Home Construction: Building Better for the Future

Binyamin Appelbaum argues in the New York Times for a shift towards mass production of modular homes in factories, citing the need for a sequel to the failed 1969 initiative, Operation Breakthrough. Appelbaum highlights the potential benefits of standardized building materials and regulations, as well as the ability to significantly reduce construction time from eight months to a single day. He suggests that government investment and subsidies, similar to those that have driven the spread of solar panels, could revolutionize the home-building business and address issues of housing market volatility and transportation costs.