The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word PREFABS
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More clues leading to the result PREFABS
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "housing" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case housing = prefabs.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PREFABS mean?
PREFABS noun- A prefabricated building.
- A prefabricated section of a building.
- A single-storey prefabricated home built in many British cities immediately after World War II, intended to have a short life, but in a few cases still in use.