League City permits new manufactured homes by right in its densest single-family zoning district after the City Council rewrote local rules months ahead of a Sept. 1 state mandate.
Ordinance No. 2026-10, adopted unanimously on May 26, opens the RSF-2 residential district to new HUD-code manufactured homes and eliminates the need for a specific-use permit. The change responds to Senate Bill 785, passed by the 89th Texas Legislature, which took effect Tuesday, Sept. 1.
SB 785 bars Texas cities from banning new federally certified manufactured homes outright. Every municipality with zoning must allow them by right in at least one residential district.
"The direct answer that I give is, it just means that cities can't ban manufactured housing entirely," DJ Pendleton, executive director of the Texas Manufactured Housing Association, told FOX 26 Houston in a Tuesday, Sept. 8 report.
The law covers only new homes built to standards set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Used manufactured homes and mobile homes built before the federal HUD code took effect in 1976 are not included.
How League City got here
The League City Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the ordinance change 5-0 on April 23. Council approved the first reading 8-0 on May 12, with Council Member Chad Tressler making the motion and Council Member Courtney Chadwell seconding it.
No residents spoke at the May 12 public hearing.
The second and final reading passed on the consent agenda May 26, with Council Member Tom Crews making the motion and Council Member Sean Saunders seconding.
The ordinance also revised rules for accessory dwelling units in response to a separate bill, Senate Bill 1567.
What RSF-2 means
RSF-2 is League City's highest-density single-family zoning classification. Lots can be as small as 2,000 square feet with a minimum width of 25 feet, according to the city's zoning code. Zero-lot-line units are permitted.
Cities are not required to allow manufactured homes in every district. SB 785 lets municipalities choose which qualifying zone opens up, as long as the district covers an actual area on the city's zoning map.
Practical limits remain
Whether the law creates real housing opportunities depends on available land and local development standards, according to the FOX 26 report.
Sara Bronin, founder of the National Zoning Atlas, said minimum lot sizes, setbacks and design standards can collectively raise costs enough to undercut affordability. Pendleton called attempts to comply with the law without creating realistic opportunities "creative compliance."
Under SB 785, an application to install a new manufactured home is considered approved unless the city denies it in writing within 45 days.
