The new National Association of Manufactured Housing Community Owners (NAMHCO) has launched another proverbial shot across the bow of the establishment Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), that they broke away from last year.
While it is too soon to see what the effectiveness of this new trade group will be, they are reporting that they are tackling issues that the MHI is widely seen as failing the industry’s communities, and others too, on in their lobbying.
Keen industry observers wonder if this may cause MHI to stop posturing, and start doing?
The news release that was provided to the Daily Business News on MHProNews is as shown below. It will be followed by some related reports and other relevant information.
NEWS RELEASE
January 11, 2019
Greetings members from NAMHCO Lobbyist Tom Heinemann:
Happy New Year!
As the Federal Government shutdown enters its third week, Susan Brenton and I have been working with the Board to finetune NAMHCO’s policy priorities and have started conversations with key Congressional offices, Freddie Mac, and advocacy groups and Federal Departments, including HUD and the Federal House. So far, we have been welcomed as a new independent voice on manufactured housing.
Over the next several weeks we will be shaping the priorities that impact NAMHCO that impact the membership, including:
· Reducing regulatory burdens community owners face with seller-financing manufactured homes in their community.
· Increasing financing options and affordability for prospective buyers of manufactured titled as chattel through working with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s Duty to Serve Chattel programs.
· Increasing financing options for community owners through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s multifamily manufactured housing Duty to Serve efforts.
· Easing regulations governing the installation of homes in existing communities.
· Ensuring Fair Housing regulations do not place undo burdens on tenant screening,
while also recognizing that local zoning ordinances can have an adverse impact on the affordable housing communities provide.
To the news:
Government Shutdown: HUD, Agriculture Closed; FHFA, CFPB Open: The current government shutdown has entered its third week. Federal agencies that impact the MH industry that are closed include: HUD, which sets construction standards, and offers a little used chattel finance program (Title I); and the department of Agriculture, which offers guaranteed loan programs for manufactured housing. Agencies that are funded through user fees, such as the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau remain open. Additionally, the Department of Energy, which is contemplating energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing is open.
It should be noted, that while HUD is shuttered, labels are still being issued, and designs approved by its third-party contractor, IBTS.
The House has passed numerous bills to re-open the government, however broader appropriations are tied to the Administration’s request for $5.7 billion for a border wall, which Democrats oppose.
Freddie Mac: Publishes Paper on the Prevalence of Tenant Protections in MHCs: Last month, Freddie Mac published an analysis of tenant protection laws across the 50 states. As part of its Duty to Serve plan, Freddie Mac would purchase mortgages on manufactured home communities that had a suite of consumer protections for Duty to Serve credit. Both GSE’s (Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae) purchase mortgages on MHC’s as part of its multifamily business. The report found that no one state has the full complement of protections.
Here’s where Arizona, Nevada, and California stand:
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Submitted by Soheyla Kovach to the Daily Business News for MHProNews.com. Soheyla is a managing member of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
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” During my time at MHI, I was often asked the same question, “What must happen for business to return – for manufactured housing to begin growing again? ” My stock answer would usually start with ‘financing’ and end with a general comment about the need to bring ‘value’ to our customers.”
