In a March 18 letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss), Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, and two of his colleagues, Diane Watson (D-CA) and Mike Ross (D-R), urged the Department of Justice to halt the federal government’s pending sale of FEMA’s Temporary Housing Units (THUs).

Although the General Services Administration (GSA) recently completed public auctions for ten of thousands of Temporary Housing Units (THUs), final disposition of these units cannot occur until the Department of Justice examines the sale for antitrust implications.

In their letter, the three Representatives argue that the sale of the THUs should be halted because of the adverse health effects caused by the high levels of formaldehyde found in the homes, and by their further deterioration caused by storage in open air lots for the past five years. The letter also says that the Department of Justice failed to look at overall impact on the travel trailer market of GSA’s pending sale.

Many thanks go to JD Harper, Executive Director of the Arkansas Manufactured Housing Association, who has taken a leadership role on this important issue.

Click here, for a copy of the letter to Attorney General Holder.