Not since Andy Gedo of ManageAmerica has anyone in the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) orbit exhibited the ability or desire to publicly question the multi-year thesis advanced here on MHProNews and/or MHLivingNews about what has caused over two decades of manufactured home industry underperformance. This editorial viewpoint will make a simple case: no one since Gedo has had the guts, relative candor, or skill to either do an online, virtual, or in person presentation, explanation, or defense of MHI and their dominating corporate brands. That’s a tip of the hat to Gedo, but it is also a public challenge to anyone – anyone! – in the MHI or their corporate circle to properly explain and effectively defend what is once more demonstrated by third-party nonprofits to be the Kabuki Theatrics of the Arlington, VA based trade group (i.e.: MHI). Imagine: MHI dares tell their members and the world that they oppose manufactured home community resident protections, while also saying that they represent “all segments” of the manufactured home industry. That’s not enough for them, they also claim to represent “all segments” of factory-built housing. Pardon me, but the Modular Home Builders Association’s Tom Hardiman took issue with that when they took MHI apart publicly on their Clayton backed CrossModTM scheme. The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform has repeatedly taken MHI apart for that claim, when they time and again use facts, evidence, historic trends, and common sense to demonstrate that MHI does not represent the entire industry. Even MHI admits they don’t represent the interests of consumers – which is a pretty significant arena when your business model is dependent on consumers.
As evidence that even MHI admits that they don’t reflect the interests of residents, they said in a recent email to their members the following: “The letter was supported by MH Action, National Neighborworks Association and ROC USA.” Which letter? What does that letter say? See that report in our Saturday Daily Business News on MHProNews item, which is part of the industry’s most-followed roundup of “Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use.” ©
There are blowhards who blog for MHI without directly saying as much. They routinely ignore reality by mentioning only those who parrot the MHI party line. It is an old propagandist’s tactic.
One of those shills for MHI attempts to mask their often pro-MHI narrative by tossing an occasional bone to MHARR or mentioning (obliquely) this publication or others that are opposed to MHI’s propaganda.
Restated, one sly propagandist is running interference (such as it is…) for another one. Lines like “put up or shut up” are mouthed, when their argument is a logic non sequitur. That same posturing and preening ‘educator’ of manufactured home communities has led his independent followers to be fed to the consolidating vultures and lions at MHI who are gobbling up the white hats that often cause states and federal officials to look askance at our industry’s “predators.” Neither MHI, nor those who provide the MHVille equivalent for CRC’s “deception and misdirection” cover for MHI can be properly understood unless the methods and meaning of “paltering” are understood.
A modification of the opening salvo at the top is in order.
The best discussion/debate about the true state of the manufactured housing industry was the one with Gedo. But Tim Williams with the Ohio Manufactured Homes Association (OMHA), Jim Ayotte with the Florida Manufactured Housing Association (FMHA) and Elizabeth Birch, J.D, attorney for the OMHA have all entered into more modest levels of debate. Once their opening salvo’s were refuted, none of them were willing to actually enter into a public debate. Neither has George F. Allen been willing to publicly debate this writer about the effectiveness of MHI or the true causes and possible cures for the industry’s 21st century limitations. Instead, Allen understandably runs for cover behind his military service in Vietnam, hurl boasts that as noted are logical non sequiturs. It is a magician’s slight of hand deployed as ‘rhetoric.’ Red herrings are another old trick.
But one must not overlook this broadside against MHI from Prosperity Now’s Doug Ryan, and that fact-check and analysis.
Back to MHI, instead of their would-be defenders and preening surrogate-bloggers.
What an incredibly flawed public posture for MHI to take on resident protections. MHI circulated their opposition letter to members of Congress, by their own admission. See that in the report linked below. It is thus a poor reflection on anyone sitting on an MHI board who is not at a minimum playing the role of anonymous whistleblower and tipster.
What sparks these remarks today?
Several of the new items for the week that was are linked further below in our weekly recap of MHVille headlines in review.
Those new pieces of evidence unpacked in reports are near the top of the list for motivations to challenge MHI, their attorneys, their corporate masters, or their surrogates to publicly debate their effectiveness in a manner akin to what Gedo and this writer did. Or let the debate be live on Zoom, GoToMeeting, or some similar platform that allows thousands of industry professionals to tune in and can record the debate for playback later for those who miss it live.
Among the new items is one from MHI rival MHARR – the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform. It will speak for itself. MHProNews will plan to unpack their newest Issues and Perspective by MHARR President and CEO Mark Weiss, J.D., perhaps later in the week ahead. Until then, you can read Weiss’ thoughts unfiltered via the link below.
But another news item is also by a nonprofit that MHProNews has highlighted several times. The Urban Institute has obvious ties to Warren Buffett, who has served as a lifetime trustee and donor. See what the Urban Institute researchers said about the manufactured housing industry and the reasons for its underperformance. Then check out our analysis of their statements.
With that latter paragraph in mind, don’t miss our postscript.
Day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year, this platform has faithfully named names and cited sources without twisting their words out of context. Only by fairly representing the views of a group or person can an honest evaluation of their methods and accomplishments (or lack thereof) occur.
With no further adieu, see the headline linked reports and analysis for the week that was from 8.7.2022 to 8.14.2022.
What’s New on MHLivingNews
What’s New from Washington, D.C. from MHARR in August 2022
What’s New on the Words of Wisdom by Tim Connor, CSP
The Latest on the Masthead
What’s New on the Daily Business News on MHProNews
Saturday 8.13.2022
Friday 8.12.2022
Thursday 8.11.2022
Wednesday 8.10.2022
Tuesday 8.7.2022
Monday 8.6.2022
Sunday 8.5.2022
Postscript
In fairness to the Urban Institute’s authors’ thesis shown in our deep dive on MHLivingNews, linked above, where they seem to have had some factual errors, they have been contacted to see if they would like to correct their mistakes. That occurred during the weekend (8.13.2022). They deserve some time to respond.
Until they respond, recall that Warren Buffett’s involvement with the Urban Institute (UI) was previously unpacked in reports like the one linked here. UI can say their authors are independent, hmm, okay. But readers ought to be clearly advised as to the various ties so that they can discern for themselves if there was a possible influence or not. That said, our industry-leading trade platforms have referenced the Urban Institute and their research numbers of times over the years.
That said, here are some of the pull quotes from UI authors Karan Kaul and Daniel Pang. Much of it is quite fine, which is noted in our outreach to them and in our MHLivingNews report linked above.
- “Manufactured housing is the most affordable permanent housing option in the U.S.A. today. It is, as MHLivingNews has previously reported – and UI confirmed above – about half the cost per square foot as conventional housing. The quality of manufactured homes is significantly superior to many pre-HUD Code mobile homes. Kaul and Pang aptly make the point that the terminology matters, because a mobile home and manufactured home are distinctive. They were each built to different construction standards.”
- Research also shows that when anchored properly, manufactured homes built after 1994 were at least as safe as site-built homes during tornadoes and hurricanes.
- “…the share of new manufactured homes priced below $125,000 was 67.3 percent of new units shipped in 2021 (table 5). Note that the share of manufactured homes priced between $125,000 and $249,999 has jumped from 4.0 percent in 2014 to 32.1 percent in 2021. This suggests that manufactured housing has the potential to serve the needs of households priced out of site-built housing…”
- “Additionally, if the right set of policies were put in place (i.e., zoning reforms to encourage more manufactured housing, as well as improvements to chattel financing), this number could be even higher. Most importantly, all these units would be created in the affordable segment of the market, mitigating the rising housing cost burdens low- and moderate income households face.”
The bulk of what Kaul and Pang wrote, and the bulk of their evidence, is quite good. There are apparent errors in claims and logic, which our analysis mentions some. If Kaul and Pang respond and correct, we’ll reflect such a pivot. If they fail to do what good researchers should, then other glitches can be illustrated and the possible motivations for their failure to correct will be questioned.
When an industry has members who express serious and evidence-based concerns about why it is underperforming, slight of hands (ignoring, dodging, ducking, using straw man or red herring tactics, etc.) should not be accepted by thoughtful professionals seeking the truth.
MHProNews and our MHLivingNews sister site have accurately quoted MHI and numbers of their top backers accurately and by name. Kevin Clayton, Tim Williams, Tom Hodges, and officials from Skyline Champion (SKY), Cavco Industries (CVCO), Equity LifeStyle Properties (ELS), and the list goes on from corporate, public officials, nonprofits, and more are shown in the quotable quote graphic below. Note: in many devices and browsers you can click the image below, follow the prompts, and see this in a far larger and more readable size. Or you can download it and open it on your own device.
Restated: there is a prima facie case to be made that manufactured housing has been undermined from within with the apparent purpose of benefiting the larger brands who are consolidating the industry. When you follow the money trail, and ask ‘who benefits?’ (cui bono?), that is the obvious answer.
Otherwise, if one doesn’t think that they are ‘failing on purpose’ while posturing efforts that superficially may seem sound, one must think that MHI is led by inept and self-deluded fools. We don’t think that MHI are led by inept or deluded fools. Rather, the evidence suggests that they are cunning. They palter, spin, and omit because that is the only way the corporate powers that dominate MHI can hope to keep the independents on board at the state and national levels. Do they want to debate that? Anyone ready for that discussion or debate? Put up or shut up?
But that ‘put up or shut up’ is someone else’s line. It is a bit like any cheap pick-up line deployed at a bar or dark corner here or overseas. Here, we believe in free speech. We believe in honest, open debate.
And when honest debate or arguments are avoided, we will point that out, so that thoughtful people can see where the strong arguments are and where the weak ones are.
Habits, ego, fear, so-called short-term pragmatism, subversion from those who – like Allen?! – acknowledge the grumblings of disappointed pros but won’t act in favor of it – these are among the reasons that a new post-production trade group have not yet emerged.
Manufactured housing ought to be soaring. Yes, it is growing.
But this once far greater industry could be several performing at several times its current size. The report and analysis of the Urban Institute report – properly understood – make that point. Digest it and share it.
In closing, MHProNews noted anew that from time to time, a once mighty or lauded corporation or billionaire falls in court.
need to wait years for legislation that in the past has often led to little or no discernable benefit. https://www.wnd.com/2021/05/solution-big-tech-oligarchs/
Yes, taking on the billionaire class and their tenacles in MHVille ought to be entered with eyes open. But there are reasons for hope.
Not since Andy Gedo has an extended discussion or debate occurred in the manufactured housing arena. OMHA’s Williams and Birch folded quickly. So too did FMHA’s Ayotte. To their credit, at least they made the effort, which neither MHI nor their board members or attorneys have done.
It is facts, evidence, and analysis like this that keep thousands of MHVille pros flocking to these pages day by day. Will some decide to organize their own post-production trade group and fight back at some point? Maybe yes, or maybe no. But if that ever occurs in an authentic way, the potential for the industry is spelled out in part in that report and analysis on the UI’s Kaul and Pang’s thesis. Manufactured housing could be several times its current production levels. Who said? Ironically, an ex-MHI president and CEO. How is that accomplished? For the answer, look to another ex MHI president and CEO.
We rest our case. Stay tune for what the next set of headlines reveal, here at the one and only source for “Intelligence for your MHLife” © here at MHProNews and MHLivingNews, where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ##
Again, our thanks to free email subscribers and all readers like you, our tipsters/sources, sponsors and God for making and keeping us the runaway number one source for authentic “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
The text/image boxes below are linked to other reports, which can be accessed by clicking on them.
