According to the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR), the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) statistics show shipments of manufactured housing continued to fall through the first two months of this year by 15 percent over the same period 2010.  Production numbers in their report from 2009 to 2010 show a .8 percent drop to a new record low of 49,275 units produced.  According to Thayer Long, executive vice-president of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), production actually increased 2009 to 2010 by .7 percent, but Long acknowledges that numbers are dropping year over year in 2011 vs. 2010.  Since 1998, when close to 373,000 homes were produced, the market decline stands at some 85% percent.  MHARR has taken the position that the drop preceded the recent conventional housing bubble.  MHARR’s statement asserts that the majority of the damage has come from laws enacted by Congress to benefit the industry that have been improperly or not at all implemented by federal regulators.  As such, MHARR reiterated its call for policies that promote job growth within the industry, and reduce the choke hold federal regulators have on small businesses, in particular.  The week of April 4, MHARR’s Executive Committee held meetings with chairpersons of both houses of Congress to emphasize these points.  This comes on the heels of the IBIS study reported last week.  MHI and MHARR officials have both issued statements and released information relating to the languishing industry sales results, which will be the focus of additional information and follow up stories here on MHMSM.com.  Read the full MHARR report, “Industry Crisis Continues While Implementation of Laws Languishes.”