This week, the EPA announced new requirements for qualifying site-built and modular homes for ENERGY STAR, which will go into effect beginning next year.
The Systems Building Research Alliance (SBRA) is in the process of revising the modular program to align with the new national ENERGY STAR requirements. The updated protocols will be issued in the coming weeks.
Webinar Date and Time: December 9, 2010 2:00 p.m. Eastern 1:00 p.m. Central 12:00 p.m. Mountain 11:00 a.m. Pacific Click here to Register The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was enacted into law on July 21, 2010. The law is considered the most significant rewrite of rules …
Earlier this week, 20 members of MHI’s Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Taskforce convened in Dallas to identify and prioritize provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act. If unchanged, Dodd-Frank will significantly burden manufactured home purchasers by adding to the cost of acquiring a loan or restrict access to/availability of financing (including related statutes, such as the SAFE Act). The taskforce also began the task of identifying regulatory and legislative remedies MHI must undertake to amend these provisions. MHI has retained the lobbying firm of Porterfield, Lowenthal, and Fettig to assist on this critical issue.
After a decisive GOP victory in the House on November 2, Republican members unanimously elected Ohio’s John Boehner the new Speaker. Virginia’s Eric Cantor was elected Majority Leader; incoming freshman Kristi Noem of South Dakota and Tim Scott of South Carolina will be on the Elected Leadership Committee, an important decision-making body in the House Republican Conference. The new GOP team is a more geographically diverse group with the objective of limiting government spending.
On November 18, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) indicated that the Senate could potentially bring up measures to extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts–entirely or in part–when congress returns from Thanksgiving recess the week of November 29.
On November 18, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) indicated his opposition to an omnibus spending measure that would package all 12 of the unfinished FY2011 federal appropriations bills into a single legislative measure. Congress has not completed work on any of the annual appropriations bills.
Both the House and Senate are scheduled to convene the week of November 15 for a “lame-duck” session of Congress. The agenda that has been laid out includes a debate on extending the 2001 and 2003 “Bush” tax cuts (including extension of the tax credit for Energy Star manufactured and modular homes also known as “45L”), and passing an ominibus appropriations bill for the federal government for its 2011 fiscal year. A number of other issues could also potentially come up for consideration, including an energy efficiency tax measure and an extension of current unemployment benefits. MHI is preparing to push for the extension of the Energy Star tax credit – for more detail see the article below.
MHI seeks to ensure that legislation extending and expanding tax credits available for the production of Energy Star-qualified manufactured and modular homes (also known as “45L”) is included in any tax package considered and enacted by Congress when they return next week. This is an important tax credit for the industry and our customers.
On November 12, it was announced that President Obama will nominate North Carolina Banking Commissioner Joseph A. Smith, Jr. to be Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).
MHI held a conference call with 31 member state association executives on Tuesday, November 9. During the call, MHI provided a summary of election results and anticipated changes on Congressional committees impacting the industry. State association executives in turn shared information on relationships they have with newly elected Members and their potential for being industry allies in Washington, DC.
With the largest turnover of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1948, the incoming class of the 112th Congress will have the largest number of freshman members in more than 60 years. Due to this high level of turnover, MHI needs assistance from state associations in building relations with new members of the House and Senate.
MHI’s Monthly Economic Report© for September 2010 is now available.
The Manufactured Housing Institute’s actual shipments report indicates that 4,440 new HUD-Code homes were shipped in September 2010, down 2.0 percent from September 2009. Trends by housing type varied with multi-section home shipments down compared with the same month last year, while single section home shipments showed a 14 percent increase.
MHI is pleased that earlier this week, Ginnie Mae released its pooling guidelines for loans insured under the new FHA Title I program. The issuance of these pooling guidelines completes the implementation of the FHA Title I program passed as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) in 2008. The issuance of these guidelines will now also provide FHA Title I lenders and Ginnie Mae approved Issuers the ability to securitize manufactured FHA Title I loans.
The International Energy Conservation Code Council (IECC), at a meeting last week in Charlotte, North Carolina, voted to adopt a new national model energy code that boosts new home and commercial energy efficiency by 30%, and will likely impact the Department of Energy’s (DOE) efforts to establish comparable standards for manufactured housing.
For the second time this year, the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC) convened in Arlington, VA on October 27-28. During the two day meeting, the full MHCC and its subcommittees considered numerous proposals to update the Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards, listened to testimony from the public, and participated …
On October 28, Alabama Manufactured Housing Association (AMHA) Executive Director Sherry Norris, and CIS Financial Services, Inc. President and AMHA Board Member Paula Reeves met with House Financial Services Committee Ranking Minority Member Spencer Bachus (R-AL) on issues of key concern to the manufactured housing industry, including issues surrounding implementation …
Alabama Industry Leaders Discuss Dodd-Frank Issues with Key Congressional Leader Read More
On Thursday, Representative Joe Donnelly (D-2nd-IN) toured the Commodore Corporation manufacturing facility in Goshen, Indiana. While at the plant, the Congressman addressed 120 employees noting his strong support for the manufactured housing industry. Through the leadership of Congressman Donnelly, who sits on the House Financial Services Committee, HR 5369 the …
Congressman Joe Donnelly Visits MHI Member Commodore Corporation in Indiana Read More
On October 21, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) participated in the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Manufactured Housing Association at the invitation of its executive director, Mary McBrady. Frank was honored for his support of the manufactured housing industry. During his presentation, Frank responded to questions from …
Barney Frank Participates in Massachusetts Manufactured Housing Meeting Read More
As part of the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173; P.L. 111-517), the Federal Reserve and Securities Exchange Commission (SED) have released three proposed rules and requests for comments on appraisal regulations and ABS disclosures (see below). In order to develop a suitable …
October 5, HUD released information about the $1 billion Emergency Homeowners Loan Program (EHLP) authorized in the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill, including a program description and formula allocations for the 32 eligible states and Puerto Rico. Click here to view this information. EHLP, which is expected to become operational by …
