Several recent industry events have highlighted just how significant the incorrect use of jargon – terminology – is for manufactured housing retailers, communities, producers and others who serve, supply, and support the industry.
For instance, the Ohio Manufactured Home Association (OMHA) and their state’s resident group struggle to keep their regulatory commission was unable to stop Governor Kasich and his “lies” – as MHI called it. Part of the backdrop of the issue was conflating fire losses among pre-HUD Code mobile homes and post-HUD Code manufactured homes.
Also, recently, researchers at Michigan State University did a flawed study on manufactured homes – what they called ‘mobile homes’ and tornadoes. Mixing the terms ‘mobile home’ with manufactured home – as if they were the same thing, was at the heart of that misleading report.
A number of manufactured home owners have reported to local media or MHLivingNews their struggles and frustrations over the “t-word,” which long-time factory-built home owner and professional, Donald Tye, said should be avoided by media and others, just as the “n-word” is avoided in polite company.
In the wake of such examples, Julia Granowicz has provided a report that spells out the distinctions between the various kinds of factory built homes. That report, entitled – Separating Fact, Fiction and Using Correct Factory-Built Home Terminology – and is linked here. ##
(News, analysis – headline note, “a rose by any other name” should still smell as sweet, but front-line MH professionals know by experience that is not the case, with all due respect to William Shakespeare. “We Provide, You Decide.” © )
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