“The most insidious power the media has is the power to ignore.” – Chris Plante, ex-CNN Washington D.C. reporter, WMAL pundit.
“Truth can withstand the most rigorous scrutiny, but a lie cannot.” -James in NM
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.” Upton Sinclair
“The time is always right to do what is right.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“One man with courage is a majority.” Thomas Jefferson
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” ― John Adams
“Dr. King’s vision included affordable housing and home ownership. The Plant A Home project aims at providing an opportunity for more people in our area to have an affordable home of their own.
Every American citizen deserves the privilege to share in the American dream. The Taft family should not be treated any differently. They meet or surpass all qualifications for affordable housing and to deny them the right to live where they choose to live is out of step with reality. In fact, it is more in step with the past. There are also other hard-working, law-abiding families across our great state that can benefit tremendously from “Plant A Home” if given a fair opportunity to do so. Now is the right time to do what is right. “Working Together Works.”” – Rev. Ivory Mewborn, Mayor Pro-Tem, Ayden NC. Vice Chair Pitt County (NC) Human Relations Commission.
Among the headlines for the week that was found below is the report of a federal complaint against specific officials that have various roles and responsibilities at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). That full complaint to the HUD Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG) is found in the report linked below on MHLivingNews. This slide show provides some insights on that ‘independent’ department.
HUD & OIG.
With that backdrop, perhaps one of the best possible insights about concerns at HUD and why so little meaningful action on enforcing the law, particularly the so-called “enhanced preemption” provision of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 (MHIA) comes from the first Administrator for HUD’s Office of Manufactured Housing Programs (OMHP).
Bill Matchneer, J.D. sent the following messages to MHProNews. Note the acronym OGC is short for Office of General Counsel.
“Tony: From the time I got there, OGC let it be known that they would not enforce the preemption provision of the [Manufactured Housing Improvement] Act, even though Congress had just reemphasized [HUD’s federal] preemption in the MHIA.
Preemption is a legal restriction placed on all local jurisdictions and it can only be enforced by an action at law. Proper practice would be for OGC to handle all preemption matters, and refer to matter to DOJ for prosecution if the local jurisdiction does not cooperate. Instead, [manufactured housing] preemption matters were left to the program office, which has no independent authority to refer cases to DOJ. All we could do would write “preemption letters” to the offending jurisdiction. These letters quoted the preemption language from the Act, and most jurisdictions would eventually cooperate. But if they did not, OGC refused to take over. Maybe this has changed, but from your message [and referenced MHProNews/MHLivingNews reporting] it sounds like it hasn’t.”
To learn more on this, see the HUD OIG report linked below among the new reports for the week that was, in this case, on MHLivingNews.
More Facts and Analysis – Enforce the Law?
Several points arise from the confirmation by Matchneer of what is confirmed by the obvious behavior at HUD. It is confirmed too by the recent statement that the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) seemingly wishes to ignore. Think about the Plante quote and consider how it applies to MHI’s reports, housing alerts, news and updates or “MHI in Action.” “The most insidious power the media has is the power to ignore.” For those who only read a pro-MHI outlet, and who don’t read MHProNews and MHLivingNews, the report below would likely be unknown.
From time to time, there are requests that come to MHProNews/MHLivingNews for an executive summary. We periodically do just that; let’s do it again. If someone wants to know why manufactured housing is not performing well during an affordable housing crisis it could be summed up in a few words.
- Failure to enforce existing laws. That includes, but is not limited to, the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act (MHIA) of 2000 at HUD, and the Duty to Serve (DTS) Manufactured Housing by the FHFA, regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
- Posturing by various parties in the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) orbit that admit the above, yet oddly fail to do the common sense things which could cause those laws to be enforced. NOTE: as a programming note, a planned report (may be Monday 10.25.2021) there will be a specific recent example of others doing what MHI could do too, if they were acting sincerely.
- To the question – what explains the possible motivation for MHI failing to do their claimed role properly? – that answer appears to be summed up in consolidation of the industry by MHI’s dominating brands.
- But in fairness to MHI and their dominating brands, there is more to it. For instance. Both HUD and FHFA have legal mandates. So too does Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It shouldn’t be necessary for MHARR, or anyone else for that matter, to have to lobby, push, and prod to get existing laws enforced.
- When everyday citizens violate a law and it becomes known, it is common that there are legal consequences.
- There must logically be some motivation(s) lurking for public officials to turn a blind eye to existing laws. Once again, the quotations at the top are invoked by reference.
- Back to MHI, while they claim to be in the business of representing the interests of “all segments” of manufactured housing, their own data and statements – carefully examined and pondered objectively – routinely demonstrates that they are ineffective at best, corrupt at worst.
- It is for obvious fact, evidence, and historic trend-based reasons that Samuel Strommen at Knudson Law – besides sources in and beyond manufactured housing – has accused MHI and their leading brands of corrupt behavior that arguably violates federal law.
- Given repeated opportunities, MHI leaders and attorneys as recently as 10.21.2021 decline to respond to those concerns. Meaning, the allegations are largely unchallenged.
- Instead, MHI pretends as if MHProNews, MHLivingNews, MHARR, or other critics – some of whom are in or used to be in MHI – don’t exist. It is posturing as if they are doing something. But instead, what exists is what MHARR’s Mark Weiss aptly called the “illusion of motion.”
- Since the dawn of the Berkshire era of manufactured housing, the industry has steadily consolidated into a group of brands that are routinely members of MHI.
- By contrast, MHI – if they were successful at promoting the full and proper enforcement of existing laws – could expect to achieve the kind of growth that Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs_ are enjoying in California since state preemption has liberalized their placement in the Golden State.
- Not everything that comes out of MHI, their surrogates, or from their dominating brands are Indeed, part of what made (and makes) their method of paltering, deception and misdirection, and half-truths effective is because they seemed to say and do the right things. But after years of not doing the obvious things necessary to enforce existing laws, it can no longer be plausible for objective minds to believe that they are merely incompetent or overlooking the obvious.
- The fact that MHI’s board accepts that apparent pattern strongly suggests that they approve of this nearly 2 decade pattern since the MHIA was enacted, and the roughly 13 years since DTS was passed in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) of 2008.
That’s the executive summary.
For detailed evidence of that, see the complaint to HUD’s OIG. Why? Because even though it is focused on issues inside HUD, by implication and reference, there are several evidence-based examples of MHI and their dominating brands apparently violating federal laws too. Additionally, they are apparently failing at their own stated goal. Given the duration of those failures, that implies other potential violations of law. Board members in such a scenario, per legal sources, are accountable.
Additionally, there are nuances and details found in reports recent and passed that illustrate those concerns, allegations, and claims. While it entirely possible that at some point an MHI and/or corporate attorneys working for their dominating brands might institute – pun intended – a legal action against MHProNews for daring to report the facts, evidence, and logic that support the above claims, so far they have been largely silent. That leads to the obvious question. If this wasn’t true, then why has MHI and their attorneys failed to respond or act?
The HUD OIG report is the leading edge of the next steps which can breach the moats of those who think that independent businesses should be consolidated or eliminated. There is a case to be made that a durable competitive advantage that can counter their moat is the moat of honest, ethical behavior that is coupled with law enforcement. P.E.P., centuries of traditional morality, and enforce the law; those are the cures to what ails manufactured housing and the nation’s affordable housing crisis.
Years of laying the foundation through reports, research and analysis have led to this point. Now, expect more of these ‘enforce the law’ efforts. Again, see the HUD OIG reports linked below.
Additionally, there will be more mainstream media outreaches, like the one below.
Don’t miss today’s postscript.
With no further adieu, let’s review the headlines for the week that was between 10.17 to 10.24.2021.
What’s New on MHLivingNews
What’s New on the Masthead
What’s New from Washington, D.C. from MHARR
What’s New on the Words of Wisdom by Tim Connor, CSP
What’s New on the Daily Business News on MHProNews
Saturday 10.23.2021
Friday 10.22.2021
Thursday 10.21.2021
Wednesday 10.20.2021
Tuesday 10.19.2021
Monday 10.18.2021
Sunday 10.17.2021
Postscript
It’s no mystery. Liars lie. Con artists, be they men or women, deceive. Even the SEC seems to think that serious violations of the law exist that happens to involve a former MHI chairman. When not just some, but the bulk of the evidence points in one direction, and there is a track record, where are the reasons to doubt the facts, evidence and roughly 2 decade pattern?
It’s Sunday, so…
“The weapons of our battle are not of flesh but are enormously powerful, capable of destroying fortresses.” (2 Cor 10:4)
“Our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:12-17)
“Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.” (Eph 6:11)
Psalm 24: 7-10
“O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is the king of glory?
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant,
the Lord, the valiant in war.
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is he, the king of glory?
He, the Lord of armies,
he is the king of glory.”
Those are all from the Bible, via the Magnificat daily devotional readings.
Additionally, there are these pull quotes from various religious beliefs and moral perspectives.
There are arguably several reasons why MHProNews has not yet been served or sued by MHI and their dominating brands. In no particular order of importance.
- Divine intervention.
- Stating the truth, evidence, accurate quotations, and applied common sense.
- Providing MHI and their dominating brands the open-ended, and periodic specific opportunity to respond.
- Repeated efforts to get MHI and/or their corporate leaders an opportunity to respond.
- This.
Note, as previously has been reported, the case can and has previously been made that are other ways that MHI and their corporate masters have attempted to silence, intimidate, and otherwise eliminate this MHProNews platform and MHLivingNews. But at the end of the day, the way to beat purported lawbreakers and hoodwinkers is to expose them and then lawfully press for legal action. The battle for the future of manufactured housing is underway.
Let’s close as we opened.
- “The most insidious power the media has is the power to ignore.” – Chris Plante, ex-CNN Washington D.C. reporter, WMAL pundit.
- “Truth can withstand the most rigorous scrutiny, but a lie cannot.” -James in NM
- “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.” Upton Sinclair
- “The time is always right to do what is right.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “One man with courage is a majority.” Thomas Jefferson
- “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” ― John Adams
“Dr. King’s vision included affordable housing and home ownership. The Plant A Home project aims at providing an opportunity for more people in our area to have an affordable home of their own.
Every American citizen deserves the privilege to share in the American dream. The Taft family should not be treated any differently. They meet or surpass all qualifications for affordable housing and to deny them the right to live where they choose to live is out of step with reality. In fact, it is more in step with the past. There are also other hard-working, law-abiding families across our great state that can benefit tremendously from “Plant A Home” if given a fair opportunity to do so. Now is the right time to do what is right. “Working Together Works.”” – Rev. Ivory Mewborn, Mayor Pro-Tem, Ayden NC. Vice Chair Pitt County (NC) Human Relations Commission.
Ponder this. If MHI and their corporate leaders were sincere, much of what they need to do could be summed up in three words and 3 letters.
- Enforce the Law.
- P.E.P.
- If they can’t do that, then how can they honestly say that they are properly doing their claimed job?
That brief but blazing clarity speaks volumes. Stay tuned for what’s next.
##
Our thanks to you, our sources, and sponsors for making and keeping us 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.
