The Arlington, VA based Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) participated in publishing in left-of-center Politico the following, per their August 7, 2020 message to members and readers. As the White House’s official document shown further below de facto reflects, President Donald J. Trump rejected the plan and recent lobbying efforts made MHI and their “coalition” partners.
The following was the MHI explanation that followed the screen capture they provided of the advertisement above.
“MHI’s Advocacy
Working with a coalition of leading national housing industry associations, MHI is advocating to ensure federal assistance for renters is targeted and effective. The full-page advertisement above, which has appeared in Politico newspaper and other outlets regularly visited by the Administration and staff, was a joint effort to raise awareness and let Congress and the Administration know a protracted eviction moratorium would do more harm than good for renters.”
Note to new readers: MHProNews has for some years used brown and bold type to highlight certain direct quotes to make them ‘pop,’ but the words are as in the original. That noted, this effort by the Arlington, VA based Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) follows on the heels of one of their photo opportunities at the White House. That and what follows logically begs the question, beyond access to a photo op, how much sway does MHI actually have with the Trump Administration?
Is MHI just posing for the cameras and smart phones to impress those who can be swayed by such photo ops? Or are they actually effective on the issues that matter to manufactured housing industry independents, investors, affordable housing advocates, home seekers and others?
Note that the digital version of that full page ‘MHI Coalition’ ad published in Politico and other newspapers was previously shared with MHI readers in an August 5, 2020 email. Both included a link to the letter for bipartisan Congressional leadership found linked here.
That letter opens with the following.
“Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer and Leader McCarthy:
The undersigned national associations that represent for-profit and non-profit owners, developers, managers, housing cooperatives and housing agencies involved in providing affordable rental and cooperative housing to millions of American families urge you to take meaningful action now to protect the housing stability of millions of American families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic…”
While there are some MHI members that indeed provide rental housing – namely manufactured home community operators that are often connected to private equity and/or are publicly traded firms – since when is providing affordable rental housing such a keen focus at MHI? Isn’t the goal supposed to be to encourage more affordable home ownership via the sale of more HUD Code manufactured homes?
Among the industry feedback on these developments is from a longtime MHI contact. That source told MHProNews as part of a longer email: “Don’t get mad [at MHI] …get even with these weasels, and their worthless weekly…” messaging. For clarity, whatever personal emotions a trade journalist may or may not have is irrelevant in an objective report and analysis. Facts, the money trail, accurate quotes, and their implications drive MHProNews reports and analysis, not negative emotions like ‘getting even.’
That noted the same source’s email to MHProNews made several apt points. For instance, instead of using existing federal laws that aim to create more affordable homeowners by specific support for manufactured housing, why is MHI instead part of a coalition that in several ways reflects interests at odds with affordable manufactured homes?
Why was it only MHProNews that asked HUD and FHA to clarify certain issues that represent opportunities for more sales of manufactured homes? Where was MHI on that or a range of other topics that could advance our industry and affordable housing seekers – even during a pandemic?
The balance of the meat from MHI’s recent email is below. That in turn will be followed by the official White House media release on the executive order (EO) that President Trump signed on 8.8.2020 which took a direction different than what MHI and their “coalition” partners urged. That President Trump EO will be followed by a brief analysis before pivoting to the headlines for the wide range of news and issues covered in the week that was between 8.2 and 8.9.2020.
August 7, 2020
Administration Considering Executive Action to Extend Federal Eviction Moratorium
According to a breaking news reports, negotiations between Congress and the White House over a new coronavirus relief package have ended without an agreement.
Top Administration officials have announced they will recommend President Trump take executive action. They have signaled that an extension of the federal eviction moratorium would be part of the executive action.
MHI needs you to ACT NOW and tell the Administration that a protracted eviction moratorium would do more harm than good for the American people.
MHI needs you to ACT NOW and tell the Administration that a protracted eviction moratorium would do more harm than good for the American people. A protracted eviction moratorium is not a sustainable, long-term solution for American families facing financial hardship and is ruinous to the rental housing market. MHI joined a coalition of national housing industry associations in letters to Congress and the White House recommending a better approach to supporting renters. Last week, you contacted Congress telling them an extension of the eviction moratorium is not the right approach to keep people in their homes. Now we need you to contact the White House.
What to Tell The Administration
Ask President Trump to oppose extending the federal eviction moratorium and instead support emergency rental assistance targeted to those impacted by COVID-19.
Justification
The best way to protect the housing of those who have been impacted by COVID-19 is through financial assistance to keep renters from ever missing rental payments. Congress’ efforts thus far to provide robust financial assistance to households and businesses impacted by COVID-19 have prevented widespread evictions. Extending unemployment insurance and stimulus payments, along with a targeted rental assistance program, are needed to keep residents who have a COVID-related hardship in their homes. Federal policymakers should focus on these important measures and reject calls to extend the federal eviction moratorium.
Take Action
With MHI’s advocacy page, making this request of the White House is easy. Click here and follow the simple steps on MHI’s website. Once you have completed the letter, simply click “Submit.”
## End of Quoted Portions of MHI Letter to Members, another element explaining
their full page ad in left-of-center Politico is found above. ##
The President Trump signed other executive orders, as the featured image at the top indicates. Those EOs included an extension on federal support for enhanced unemployment benefits at a $400 weekly rate, $100 of which would come from the state. Some or perhaps all of these EOs may in time face legal challenges. The specific executive order (EO) on protecting renters and homeowners harmed as a result of the so-called COVID-1984 pandemic from eviction is found below.
Executive Order on Fighting the Spread of COVID-19 by Providing Assistance to Renters and Homeowners
ECONOMY & JOBS | Issued on: August 8, 2020
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Purpose. The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which originated in the People’s Republic of China, continues to pose a significant threat to the health of Americans throughout the United States. As we have since January 2020, with the proactive decision to limit travel from China and the passage of three massive economic relief packages, my Administration will take whatever steps are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and maintain economic prosperity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the Department of Health and Human Services have concluded that “growing and disproportionate unemployment rates for some racial and ethnic minority groups during the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to greater risk of eviction and homelessness or sharing of housing.”
This trend is concerning for many reasons, including that homeless shelters have proven to be particularly susceptible to outbreaks of COVID-19. CDC has observed that “[h]omelessness poses multiple challenges that can exacerbate and amplify the spread of COVID-19. Homeless shelters are often crowded, making social distancing difficult. Many persons experiencing homelessness are older or have underlying medical conditions, placing them at higher risk for severe COVID-19–associated illness.” Increased shared housing is also potentially problematic to the extent it results in increased in-person interactions between older, higher-risk individuals and their younger relatives or friends.
My Administration has taken bold steps to help renters and homeowners have safe and secure places to call home during the COVID-19 crisis. Prior to passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) (Public Law 116-136), the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development implemented a foreclosure and eviction moratorium for all single-family mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration. Furthermore, prior to passage of the CARES Act, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that it had instructed the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (the Enterprises) to suspend foreclosures for at least 60 days. FHFA has since announced that the Enterprises will extend the foreclosure suspension until at least August 31, 2020.
The CARES Act imposed a temporary moratorium on evictions of certain renters subject to certain conditions. That moratorium has now expired, and there is a significant risk that this will set off an abnormally large wave of evictions. With the failure of the Congress to act, my Administration must do all that it can to help vulnerable populations stay in their homes in the midst of this pandemic. Those who are dislocated from their homes may be unable to shelter in place and may have more difficulty maintaining a routine of social distancing. They will have to find alternative living arrangements, which may include a homeless shelter or a crowded family home and may also require traveling to other States.
In addition, evictions tend to disproportionately affect minorities, particularly African Americans and Latinos. Unlike the Congress, I cannot sit idly and refuse to assist vulnerable Americans in need. Under my Administration, minorities achieved the lowest unemployment rates on record, and we will not let COVID-19 erase these gains by causing short-term dislocations that could well have long-term consequences.
Accordingly, my Administration, to the extent reasonably necessary to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, will take all lawful measures to prevent residential evictions and foreclosures resulting from financial hardships caused by COVID-19.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to minimize, to the greatest extent possible, residential evictions and foreclosures during the ongoing COVID-19 national emergency.
Sec. 3. Response to Public Health Risks of Evictions and Foreclosures. (a) The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of CDC shall consider whether any measures temporarily halting residential evictions of any tenants for failure to pay rent are reasonably necessary to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 from one State or possession into any other State or possession.
(b) The Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall identify any and all available Federal funds to provide temporary financial assistance to renters and homeowners who, as a result of the financial hardships caused by COVID-19, are struggling to meet their monthly rental or mortgage obligations.
(c) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall take action, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to promote the ability of renters and homeowners to avoid eviction or foreclosure resulting from financial hardships caused by COVID-19. Such action may include encouraging and providing assistance to public housing authorities, affordable housing owners, landlords, and recipients of Federal grant funds in minimizing evictions and foreclosures.
(d) In consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Director of FHFA shall review all existing authorities and resources that may be used to prevent evictions and foreclosures for renters and homeowners resulting from hardships caused by COVID-19.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
August 8, 2020.
##
MHProNews Analysis and Commentary in Brief
MHI, Clayton Homes, other Berkshire Hathaway owned brands such as 21st Mortgage Corp, Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance (VMF), or other larger MHI member firms can’t have it both ways.
If MHI and their dominating firms are promoting manufactured housing ownership, they are going about it in a demonstrably mistaken fashion. Further, shipment reports make it clear that the industry has lost ground during much of 2020 and 2019, even as more expensive mainstream conventional housing or RVs are going up.
Where is the logic in being part of a coalition that in many ways are at odds with the interests of manufactured housing independents and the millions who might otherwise buy a manufactured home instead of renting? Wasn’t that the logic behind the National Association of Realtor (NAR) research performed by Scholastica “Gay” Cororaton?
Indeed, there are decades of useful information that if more widely known would promote the sale of potentially hundreds of thousands of more manufactured homes.
Which begs the question, why is so little of that positive, third-party research found on MHI’s website? Why does MHI fail to address on their own website important issues that impact independents and affordable home ownership?
When MHI was promoting their ‘access’ and ‘influence’ with the Trump Administration by showing off their recent photo op, then why did they have to beg their readers to ask the Trump Administration to take a different course of action than what MHI advocated with their housing “coalition” partners?
The arguably false façade of MHI is becoming ever more clear. While posturing being bi-partisan, their plea to get the Senate to agree with the House is a de facto plea to enter into the position taken by the Democrats in Congress.
While MHProNews has long promoted genuine bipartisanship, a close look at who is driving the Democratic leadership and high profile figures routinely traces back to the billionaires who are exacerbating and fostering the rental housing crisis that is emerging in the first place.
MHI is being revealed as nothing more than one more tool to expand the Berkshire Moat and the moats of their current allies.
To learn more, see the headlines in the reports below from the week that was. Please don’t miss the postscript that follows the headlines and their linked reports. How the powers that be in manufactured housing – which also impacts capital markets, financing, and a range of other industries beyond our own – operates is reflected in the report below.
Warren Buffett Declared “Class Warfare,” Buffett Says Fellow Billionaires – “We’re Winning”
With no further adieu, the headline reports and analysis from 8.2.2020 to 8.9.2020 are below.
What’s New on Manufactured Home Living News
The Latest from MHARR (Note: June 2020 Manufactured Home Production/Shipment data is expected early this week)
What’s New on the Masthead
What’s New on the Daily Business News from MHProNews
Saturday 8.8.2020
Friday 8.7.2020
HUD Secretary Ben Carson Announces HUD Will “Safely Resume Physical Inspections”
Thursday 8.6.2020
Wednesday 8.5.2020
Tuesday 8.4.2020
Monday 8.3.2020
Sunday 8.2.2020
Postscript (PS)
MHI member and defender Andy Gedo, a ManageAmerica partner, gave away much of during his public debate earlier this summer with MHProNews.
Among them were these pull quotes.
MHI and others have arguably tried to threaten, cajole and otherwise silence MHProNews, which with MHLivingNews stands essentially alone among trade publishers calling MHI to account for their actions. Here is how association member and publisher Kurt Kelley put it.
MHProNews has in recent years carefully laid out the evidence, often from left-of-center sources, along with the money-trail to demonstrate just how the ‘system is rigged.’
If MHI had a good argument to make for the effectiveness (or lack thereof), they and/or their powers-that-be would engaged in a public debate, just as Gedo did. But they demonstrably duck engagement instead. That after years of MHI leaders praising this publication, which is the most read and detail oriented.
MHProNews will continue to monitor and report on the machinations of MHI and their puppet masters, who are arguably more concerned with building the moats of their respect key members instead of helping independent businesses and potentially millions of homeowners.
There is always more to come, so stay tuned with the runaway number one source for authentic “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
The text/image boxes below are linked to other reports, which can be accessed by clicking on them.
