11 update says manufactured home production was down 12.89 percent over January of last year. The report says HUD is directly responsible for the precipitous drop of HUD Code manufactured houses from 374,000 in 1998 to under 50,000 last year. It says the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Title 1 program to assist moderate and low income buyers has been hampered by the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA). This sub-entity of HUD has imposed excessive securitization restrictions that can be met only by a few large mortgage originators. Despite the reforms of the 2008 Housing and Recovery Act (HERA), only 1,834 Title 1 loans were made in fiscal 2010, down from 20,000 yearly in the 1990s. In addition, says the report, another stumbling block is HUD’s apparent alignment with the larger manufacturers who tend to favor the “where needed” sprinkler standard to meet local and state jurisdictional codes. The report also says in dealings with regulators, too many manufacturers follow the “go-along-to-get-along” approach, and notes that some manufacturers who protest have been penalized, especially the smaller producers. MHARR suggests HUD is pushing for even more control of the industry it has crippled.  Read the full MHARR report here.