Attached for your review and information is a copy of a self-explanatory MHARR letter welcoming and congratulating Ms. Pamela Danner on her selection by HUD as the new careeradministrator of the federal manufactured housing program. MHARR was informed of this selection by HUD on March 6, 2014.
As the MHARR clearly states, the Association will now pursue the distinct and separate tracks that were addressed at the MHARR November 2013 Board of Directors meeting. While MHARR will work with Ms. Danner as the selected career administrator in all respects, it will simultaneously challenge HUD’s unilateral alteration of the appointed non-career administrator provision of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000. That provision is arguably themost important reform of the 2000 law, in that it was designed by Congress to ensure the full and proper implementation of all other 2000 law reforms and end a history of program mismanagement, while elevating the role and profile of manufactured housing to one of full equality and participation in all HUD affordable housing and homeownership programs.
While respecting the selection of Ms. Danner, HUD’s unilateral action, for the first time, toformally convert the 2000 reform law’s appointed non-career administrator mandate to a selectedcareer-based position, must be challenged by the industry – and a proper record established – to prevent it from becoming a precedent. It should be noted that this is a first because the one prior individual to serve as program “administrator” since the enactment of the 2000 reform law wasappointed on a non-career basis in accordance with the 2000 reform law under the Bush Administration, and then, due to his unique personal circumstances, was transitioned to career status without objection from program stakeholders.
To ensure that these two tracks remain separate, and are seen and understood to be separate, I personally called Ms. Danner yesterday to congratulate her on her selection for this position and assure her that MHARR looks forward to working with her closely, while it also takes the steps it deems necessary to uphold this crucial element of 2000 reform law as originally written and enacted by Congress.
This matter will be addressed at the upcoming MHARR Board of Directors meeting being held in conjunction with the Tunica manufactured housing show. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to call me personally if you have any question or need any additional information on this matter.
MHARR Welcomes Ms. Pamela Danner as New Program Administrator – Will Challenge HUD Change to Law-pdf
