The Senate, in a 58-41 vote Thursday, has confirmed Dr. Ben Carson to be the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Carson’s nomination was approved by a bi-partisan majority of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee in a vote on January 24, 2017.

Dr. Carson’s then-pending confirmation came up during the MHI meeting in San Antonio, February 12-14th.

MHI’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Chief Lobbyist, Lesli Gooch, Ph.D. created some hallway buzz among members after her briefing on Monday, February 13^th.

“Gooch told members during her presentation that she had received an email

from an inside source that predicted Dr. Carson would be confirmed that Friday [Feb 17th],” a MHI connected source in attendance told MHProNews.

“That proved to be incorrect,” another source said, “which those who know Washington [D.C.] well would have known, because senators routinely take off on Friday to travel home.”

The Daily Business News was advised that Gooch said there would be heavy engagement of HUD by MHI, once Carson was confirmed.

When MHProNews asked MHI staff and senior members during the meeting if they favor keeping Pam Danner on at HUD, the reply was that the issue had not yet been decided by the executive committee.

MHARR’s Viewpoint

The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) tells MHProNews that Secretary Carson has promised to conduct an objective, ground-up assessment of the effectiveness of HUD programs upon his arrival at the Department, in order to both promote efficiency and achieve better results for the millions of Americans in need of safe, decent and affordable housing. Dr. Carson has also indicated that one of his first initiatives as Secretary will be a nationwide “listening tour” regarding the operation of those programs and the housing needs of Americans.

MHARR says that an item of particular importance for the HUD Code manufactured housing industry, as the nation’s private-sector affordable housing solution, is Dr. Carson’s comments at his January confirmation hearing.

At that time, Secretary Carson emphasized the importance of private sector involvement and public-private initiatives to more effectively meet HUD’s mission and serve the affordable housing needs of lower and moderate-income Americans. Equally important for the HUD Code manufactured housing industry, particularly its smaller businesses that have suffered for nearly a decade under costly regulation, will be a commitment by Carson to fully and properly implement all remaining reform elements of the landmark Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000. This also includes President Trump’s signature policy of eliminating unnecessary, job-killing federal regulation.

“MHARR congratulates Dr. Carson on his Senate confirmation to be the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and looks forward to working with him to advance the role, the utilization and the affordability of manufactured housing – which must be federally-regulated because of its fundamentally interstate character — across the entire range of HUD housing and housing finance programs, and beyond,” said MHARR President and CEO, Mark Weiss.

“Under Dr. Carson’s leadership and in accordance with the mandate of the 2000 reform law, the status and role of the HUD manufactured housing program should be elevated within HUD, while the participation of manufactured housing within all HUD programs, on the same terms and same basis as other types of housing, is ensured.”

A full release from MHARR on Secretary Carson’s confirmation is linked here.

MHProNews and MHLivingNews publisher L.A. “Tony” Kovach penned an open letter to Dr. Carson, which is linked here. ##

 

(Image credits are as shown above.)

 

Submitted by RC Williams to the Daily Business News for MHProNews.