The Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC) will meet face-to-face for the second time this year on October 27-28, 2010 at the Holiday Inn Arlington at Ballston in Arlington, VA. MHI staff will be represented at the meeting and all MHI members of the Committee will be in attendance.

While a tentative agenda has been published in the Federal Register, (see October 8 FR) http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-25443.pdf , no specific proposed changes to the manufactured housing and construction standards or procedural enforcement regulations have been identified for consideration by the MHCC. MHI will be prepared to provide public comments on its proposed fire sprinkler standard as well as other issues that arise during the meeting.

Newly organized MHCC Subcommittees will meet to discuss a number of pending codes and standards changes, including fire sprinklers, ground anchor assembly testing protocol, tankless water heaters, fireplace and crawlspace ventilation, and gas-fired space heating appliances.

In a memo to MHCC members last week, the Deputy Administrator for the Manufactured Housing Program, Elizabeth Cocke, outlined the committee structure, which will be comprised of four subcommittees: 1)Technical Systems, 2) Regulatory Enforcement, 3) Technical Structure and Design and 4) a General Subcommittee. The fate of the numerous pending task forces is uncertain. The memo said that, according to the MHCC Charter, the Secretary of HUD or the Secretary’s designee, has the exclusive authority to create subcommittees. Subcommittees will report only to the MHCC, and will not provide advice or work products directly to HUD.

For more information, MHI members can contact MHI Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Lois Starkey at lstarkey@mfghome.org.