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This podcast of News at Noon is sponsored in part by MHMSM.com/solutions more information on MHMSM.com/solutions will follow this podcast.

Coming up, MHI’s Sales Report for April 2010.

But first…these stories.

PSU students help build ‘paper’ model house for Haiti relief effort

As reported by Colleen Stewart in The Oregonian.

Architecture students from Portland State University and employees from Pacific Green Innovations began building a 700 square foot house, constructed of paper, this morning at Shattuck Hall on the PSU campus.

The modular home will be identical to the 1,000 homes Pacific Green Innovations has committed to build in Haiti with their “1,000 Homes for Haiti” project, said Charles Fox of Pacific Green Innovations, a Washington County-based company.

The model will be completed by 5 p.m. in order to demonstrate how quickly a house can be constructed.

“It made every sense in the world to use this product and this solution to help them, but this problem can’t be solved by one company or one country,” Fox said.

The homes will be constructed from SwissCell honeycombed panels, made of recycled materials. The panels are waterproof and fireproof, and have the strength to stand up to hurricanes and earthquakes, Fox said.

PSU Architecture professor Margarette Leite said she received a swell of interest from students, to participate in building the model home on campus.

“Aside from the humanitarian purpose, the material is of interest to the students,” Leite said. “Modular construction from recycled materials is a more efficient way of building things.”

PSU senior Cassandra Rice said the model home would be on display for a month for students and the community to view.

“For people in Haiti, it is all about accessibility,” Rice said. “This is a way to show people that homes can be made quickly and easily.”

Fox said he expects the project will directly help 5,000 to 6,000 people who will be living in the homes, and about 3,000 people who will be employed to construct them.

He will be leaving tomorrow to spend eight days in Haiti, where he plans to build the first home and negotiate with the Haitian government for land on which to build the remaining homes.

Pacific Green Innovations will be working with the Clinton Foundation to build the 1,000 homes, Fox said.

RV industry celebrates 100 years of service

On the road to success, the RV industry has seen its share of ups and downs. Monday, the RV industry marked its 100th Anniversary with a celebration in Elkhart.

“Normally this meeting is held in Washington D.C.,” said Richard Coon, with the RV Industry Association. “This is the first time we’ve come here. We wanted to come and celebrate as well as have a committee meeting.”

Among the hundreds at the party, were the workers behind the vehicles.

“They’re the heart and soul of this industry and many of the workers worked for many these companies for many years, even have some of their children that work for them or their dads and their moms,” said Coon.

Party-goers were able to tour some of the older RV models, while also enjoying a barbecue and a campfire, a toast to an industry on the rebound.

So far this year, RV shipments are up almost 97 percent from last year.

“The industry is alive, it’s well and it’s a survivor and it’s going to go on for another 100 years, just like it did over the last 100,” said Elkhart Mayor Dick Moore.

Elkhart is preparing to launch into the next 100 years by hosting an RV show in August.

Moore estimates the event will bring eight to 10,000 people to Elkhart.

“We’re planning on having a real good show. Closing things down in downtown Elkhart, bringing in the RVs, bringing in the dealers, bringing in the public we think it’s going to be a very exciting time,” said Moore.

With so much of the workforce dedicated to manufacturing RVs, Moore hopes events like an RV show demonstrate the city’s commitment to supporting the industry.

“While we need to diversify, our industry here, we can’t turn our backs on the RV industry, the mobile home industry, or the manufactured housing industry. It’s sustained us for a long, long time, it’s fed us and it’s educated our children,” said Moore.

Moore is hopeful the city council will approve plans to host the RV show. No firm date has been announced yet.

Equity LifeStyle Properties’ Meadowbrook Community Receives Award by the Manufactured Housing Institute

In a report from SeniorHousingNews.com, Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc., owner and operator of a portfolio of resort communities in the United States, announced that its Meadowbrook community has been awarded the “Community of the Year (West)” award by the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI). Meadowbrook, a 40 acre, age restricted community, is situated on 40 acres in Santee, CA, in the San Diego metro-area.  The community also offers its 600 residents a clubhouse, used for both organized community activities and private resident events; extensive laundry facilities; RV storage; car wash area; and a year-round heated swimming pool, whirlpool, and spa.

“We are honored to receive the ‘Community of the Year’ award from MHI. This award is a testament to the meticulous efforts performed by our regional and community management, who are dedicated to ensuring that our properties are held to the highest standards of resort community living,” said Ellen Kelleher, Executive Vice President of Property Management.

4,817 MANUFACTURED HOMES SHIPPED IN APRIL 2010, UP 11.2 PERCENT FROM APRIL 2009

MHI’s Monthly Economic Report© for April 2010 is now available.

The Manufactured Housing Institute’s actual shipments report indicates that 4,817 new HUD Code homes were shipped in April 2010, up 11.2 percent from April 2009. Increases were across the board with both single-section and multi-section home shipments up compared with the same month last year.

In comparison with the first four months of 2009, 2010 started off with a decline in January (down 17.4 percent), shipments in February were essentially flat, followed by gains in March and April. In net, industry shipments for the first four months of this year stands at 15,949 homes compared with 15,641 homes in 2009, a year-to-date increase of about 2 percent.

The seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of shipments was 56,616 in April, marginally down by 0.35 percent from the rate of 56,816 posted in March. The SAAR corrects for normal seasonal variations in shipments and projects an annual shipments pace based on the current monthly total.

Total floors shipped in April 2010 were 7,840, up 9.2 percent from the same month in 2009. The number of plants reporting production in April was 135, which is three less than the number in March. The number of reporting corporations was 58, unchanged from last month.

MHI members can access the complete report at the MHI website.

This podcast of News at Noon is sponsored in part by MHMSM.com/solutions.

Do you have vacant homes or sites?  Does your financing, marketing, sales or management need a boost?  From high Return on Investment online marketing, to public relations, sales, lead and management systems and more, make us your Solutions Resource. When you are ready for the answers to your needs, visit MHMSM.com/solutions.

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