On a closely related matter, MHARR has called on Congress to adopt specific language that would commit the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to include HUD Code manufactured housing as part of any post-disaster emergency relief and/or permanent replacement housing that it provides with $1 billion in new funding approved by the House Appropriations Committee on May 25, 2011. In a May 26, 2011 meeting with Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), sponsor of the emergency funding amendment to the 2012 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill, MHARR officials requested that specific language be included in the bill that would assure the full and equal utilization of HUD Code manufactured housing as part of both temporary and permanent relief housing provided by FEMA with those funds.

Areas of the country that have been devastated by tornadoes and flooding have an immediate need for temporary relief housing, which can best be met, affordably and rapidly — both within and outside of established land-lease communities — by conventional and smaller-sized manufactured housing. But, the need for safe, decent and affordable housing goes well beyond this emergency role. The same areas will also need to restore the availability of permanent housing, and again, affordable, readily-available manufactured housing must be part of the solution for that need as well.

Based on prior experience showing that the inclusion of manufactured housing needs to be specifically addressed by legislative language in order to preempt possible discrimination, MHARR provided Congress with specific bill language that would accomplish these goals, together with an explanation of the need for such a provision, as follows —

JUSTIFICATION:

“Recent natural disasters have created an urgent need for both relief and permanent replacement housing in large areas of the country. The Appropriations Committee has addressed the need for additional funding to provide this and other disaster relief by approving an amendment to the 2012 Homeland Security Department appropriations bill that would provide an additional $1 billion for emergency disaster assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). To the extent that this additional funding is used by FEMA to provide either emergency relief or permanent replacement housing, or both, affordable manufactured housing should be included as part of the solution.

Therefore, in order to ensure that federally-regulated HUD Code manufactured housing is utilized by FEMA in connection with any such post-disaster relief or permanent housing authorized and funded by the FY 2012 FEMA appropriations bill, as amended, MHARR asks that the following provision be added to the bill”

SUGGESTED LANGUAGE:

“Manufactured housing as defined by the National Manufactured Housing Construction Standards Act of 1974, as amended (42 U.S.C. 5401, et seq.) and regulated pursuant thereto, shall be included as part of any post-disaster relief or permanent housing provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency with funds authorized by this section.'”

MHARR will keep you apprised on this matter as new developments unfold.