On August 5, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee adopted the Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Act (S. 1320), which provides rebates of up to $7,500 to purchasers of new Energy Star-qualified manufactured homes. The measure now awaits floor consideration. The House passed companion legislation (H.R. 5019) in May.
On August 4, prior to leaving for a month-long August recess, the Senate adopted legislation (HR 5872) increasing the commitment authority of the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) General Insurance and Special Risk Insurance (GI/SRI) Fund from $15 billion to $20 billion for FY2010. The House approved the measure on July 28. The President is expected to sign the bill.
On July 29, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Ranking Minority Member Richard Shelby (R-AL) jointly called for President Obama to formally nominate a Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). The agency has gone without a permanent director since it was created in July 2008. In a letter to the White House, Dodd and Shelby indicated that “while the FHFA currently has an acting Director who has served well under difficult circumstances, we believe that a permanent Director should be appointed and confirmed. Therefore, we urge you to forward a nomination to the United States Senate as soon as possible.”
On July 14, Reps. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Fred Upton (R-MI) introduced legislation (H.R. 5734) extending the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Dealer Floor Plan (DFP) Financing Pilot Program through September 2015.
The RV/MH Hall of Fame inducted its 2010 class in Elkhart, Indiana on August 2. Included in the class were several current and former MHI members. They are:
MHI’s Monthly Economic Report© for June 2010 is now available. The Manufactured Housing Institute’s actual shipments report indicates that 5,430 new HUD Code homes were shipped in June 2010, up 21.8 percent from June 2009. Increases were across the board with both single-section and multi-section home shipments up compared with …
5,430 New HUD Code Homes Shipped in June 2010, up 21.8 Percent from June 2009 Read More
On Thursday, August 5, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will mark up a number of energy bills. Included in the mark up is the Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Act (S. 1320) sponsored by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT). Assistance is needed from MHI members to ensure the committee favorably …
Action Needed: Contact Senators and Request they Support S. 1320 Read More
On July 29, the House of Representatives approved its version of the FY2011 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations bill (H.R. 5850). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its bill on July 22.
On July 29, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets held a hearing on the private mortgage insurance industry. The hearing is a part of a series the committee is holding on reforming the nation’s housing finance system, which will continue when Congress returns from the August recess in September.
On July 28, the House adopted legislation (H.R. 5872) increasing the commitment authority of the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) General Insurance and Special Risk Insurance (GI/SRI) Fund from $15 billion to $20 billion for FY2010. The Senate is expected to approve the measure under a unanimous consent agreement.
On July 27, the House of Representatives approved a $58.8 billion supplemental appropriations bill for FY2010. The Senate adopted the measure on July 22. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law.
The bill primarily contains funding for continued military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and disaster assistance funding for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
On August 9, 2010, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will publish a final rule in the Federal Register, revising the Cranes and Derricks Standard and related sections of the Construction Standard to update and specify industry work practices necessary to protect employees during the use of cranes and derricks in construction. The final standard also addresses advances in the designs of cranes and derricks, related hazards, and the qualifications of employees needed to operate them safely.
Under this final rule, employers are required to:
MHI is pleased to inform its members that we received the final letter from the US House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services to HUD. MHI’s efforts are reflected in this letter. The letter, signed by Barney Frank and Spencer Bachus addresses, S.A.F.E. Act implementation date, the unreasonable application of the S.A.F.E. Act to the manufactured housing industry and a de minimis standard. Specifically, HUD must provide the states with clear guidance on whether certain individuals, such as retail sales agents, are subject to S.A.F.E. Act licensing. Click here to view the letter. We believe Congress is encouraging HUD to consider a delayed implementation.
This week, MHI submitted formal comments in response to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) Enterprise Duty to Serve Underserved Markets notice of proposed rulemaking (75 FR 32099). Click here to view the proposed rule.
On July 23, the Senate approved legislation (H.R. 4213) extending federal unemployment benefits for workers that have exhausted their normal six months of benefits through November 30. The extension is retroactive to June 2. The House passed the measure one day later on June 24. The President is expected to sign the bill.
On July 20, the House approved its version of the FY2011 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill (currently unnumbered). The House measure provides a total of $67.4 billion in discretionary resources, a cut of $500 million under current spending and $1.3 billion less than the administration’s request. It is unclear when the bill will come up for floor consideration.
The MHI Board of Directors passed a resolution to support amendments to the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 to require the Department of Energy (DOE) to consider affordability in its new energy standards for manufactured housing and to return enforcement and compliance with the energy standards to HUD.
MHI began this year with a firm commitment to an intensified government relations grassroots effort. The MHI Legislative Conference and Summer Meeting held this week in Washington D. C. was highly successful; with MHI members completing almost 100 visits to Representatives and Senators to press home the importance of manufactured housing. MHI members lobbied on several key issues facing the industry including SAFE Act reform, GSE reforms and financing issues, and a home replacement program intended to help stimulate the industry, provide jobs, and place our customers in more energy efficient homes.
On July 15, the Senate approved the conference report to the Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 (H.R. 4173) on a vote of 60-39. Three Republicans—Sens. Scott Brown (R-MA), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME)—joined with Democrats on a largely party line vote to approve the measure. The House passed the measure on June 30. President Obama is expected to sign the measure.
The House of Representatives yesterday passed H.R. 5114, to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for five years. The program had expired earlier in the year and last month Congress provided a temporary extension through September 30. NFIP is the primary source of reliable, affordable flood insurance coverage for more than five million American homes and businesses and during lapses in the flood insurance program over the past year, FEMA was not able to write new policies, renew expiring ones or increase coverage limits.
