The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday, Feb. 5, edition that ECN Capital has repositioned itself as a champion of affordable housing by striking a partnership in September with Skyline Champion that saw the Troy, Mich.-based home builder invest $185-million in ECN in return for a 19.8-per-cent-ownership interest. The Globe's Andrew Willis writes that ECN chief executive officer Steven Hudson said in an interview, "Manufactured homes can be part of the solution to housing crisis." He said recent changes to Canadian and U.S. regulations, including President Joe Biden's 2022 housing supply action plan, are making it easier for customers to borrow money for manufactured homes. Asset managers Blackstone and Carlyle Group are backing ECN's expansion plans by acquiring the bulk of the loans made by the Canadian company, which earns a fee for originating and servicing the debt. In August, Blackstone committed $1.14-billion to buying manufactured housing loans from ECN's Triad Financial Services division. Institutions are investing in this corner of the credit market in part because default rates remain low despite interest-rate hikes over the past year. Mr. Hudson said, "Our customers buy homes that they can afford."