As a new report planned for later today will reflect, there are several reasons to believe that affordable housing – and thus to a lesser extent, manufactured homes – will be a hotter national topic for at least the next 14 months. Why? Because the 2020 race for the White House and who will control the Congress and the levers of the federal government in several aspects will define what happens to our industry’s independents, investors, millions of residents – and to larger players in MHVille too.
Thus, this report tees up something significant on several levels to forward-thinking manufactured housing professionals.
One, using videos from NBCLA and other mainstream news sources, it outlines just how tragic the plight is of the homeless. But that begs the question that HUD Secretary Carson, and other public officials, have repeatedly raised. What are the root causes of this homelessness? When trillions have been spent since the Johnson Administration era Great Society programs were created, why are over 500,000 Americans living without a roof of their own, rented or owned? Then, beyond that, why are some 111 million renting, when most of those could own a manufactured home, if they only understood the realities vs. the stereotypes?
Tragedy Creates Opportunities in Disguise?
These reports are often a two-edged sword for the discerning. How so? On the one hand, they point to urgent or pressing problems. As this and linked items will outline, those problems have been fostered or caused by intented or unintended policy failures. But as HUD Secretary Carson says himself, it is public-private partnerships that can solve such issues, regardless of the cause.
Rephrased, these problems are also opportunities in disguise.
By going to the root issues, such as perhaps well intentioned, but nevertheless misguided policies that have been in place for years as the problems only worsened, these are reasons why good existing federal laws could and should be enforced. Those law favor manufactured housing as an affordable housing solution. The fact that the system has arguably been twisted to thwart those law must be spotlighted and rooted out.
This report will be broken into bite sized chunks. The first is a video that presents a ‘view from among the homeless.’ It is from this video that one of those homeless said that many are only one check away from homelessness themselves.
Was that homeless man’s claim an exaggeration? Here’s what other mainstream media reports have said.
- Millions of Americans are just one paycheck away from ‘financial disaster’ – per MarketWatch on May 20, 2019.
Fortune said this on 2019/01/29: “40% of Americans One Paycheck Away from Poverty.” The video below makes their points. More on the source of that 40 percent statistic further below, as that too will have MHVille tie-ins…
CBS News reported the same thing on that same date. So, the broad point raised by that homeless person in the “Streets of Shame” series by NBCLA is a sobering one.
While the public battle with Governor Gavin Newsome (D) and HUD Secretary Carson isn’t mentioned in this video that follows, a tweet from a White House journalist below outlines that controversy.
So, next we’ll look at NBC4 News exclusively talked to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson about the rampant homeless problem in Los Angeles.
Note that this video makes a point that publisher L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach made in letter published in at least 7 Florida newspapers. That local reporter was playing it ‘straight;’ if he has a political leaning, it is not easily detected from that video, is it? Local media is more trusted by the public than mainstream media, according to surveys of that topic. Tony Kovach’s most recent Masthead takes a deeper look at that issue, and how it relates to manufactured housing.
Virtue Signaling, George Soros, Mainstream Media’s Conundrum, and Affordable Manufactured Housing
To at least partially close the loop on this, keep in mind that HUD Secretary Carson has promoted manufactured homes as a key part of the solution to these issues in speeches and on national news reports with videos found at the article linked below.
That said, what is missing from these discussions by HUD Secretary Carson are the magic words that are already federal law, “enhanced preemption” that manufactured housing already enjoys.
While it is an open question if Dr. Carson has been briefed on that issue, a White House official told MHProNews on a conference call on June 25, 2019 that they are aware of the federal preemption of manufactured housing under the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 (MHIA) and are looking at it.
Mark Weiss, J.D., president and CEO of the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) was on that same conference call, and referenced that query and reply in the report linked below. Per MHARR, “And, indeed, in response to an inquiry from MHProNews Publisher L.A. Tony Kovach, it appears that the specific issue of federal preemption will be “on the table” in this process.” Time will tell if that White House official knew what he was speaking about, or when or how the Trump Administration might deploy that power to the benefit of millions, while helping industry independents at the same time. As this and other reports make clear, we are monitoring that and will report as warranted.
What HUD has Kept Under Wraps? Why?
While most Washington, D.C. sources from across the left-right political spectrum have indicated to MHProNews that they believe that HUD Secretary Carson has been largely – if not entirely – kept in the dark on enhanced preemption, that it is well known among other key players at the federal, business, or association levels is documented in this ‘letter drop’ and related report, linked below.
There has long been evidence that the ‘system has been rigged,’ as voices across the left right political divide have said.
How this ‘rigged system’ has played out with respect to the affordable housing crisis is another topic. That 40 percent of Americans are one pay-check away from poverty came from a report published by Prosperity Now. That Prosperity Now document is found at this link here.
Keep the principle of the wheat and chaff carefully in mind, because while that nonprofit is on some levels pro-manufactured housing, it also has ties to Buffett and those who are arguably suppressing manufactured housing industry performance.
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Prosperity Now, “Following the Money” on Manufactured Home Lending Options
Prosperity Now, Nonprofits Sustain John Oliver’s “Mobile Homes” Video in Their Reports
The Stunning Recap?
Here’s one way that this can be summed up. Public policies that are advocated by certain groups are fostering the very problems that they claim to be trying to solve. HUD Secretary Carson seems to be aware of that aspect of the issue.
But what some wonder aloud, often with all due respect, is does Dr. Carson realize that the pushback against, as well as the lack of support for manufactured housing, is demonstrably being fostered by some of the very organizations that claim to want to promote manufactured homes? Does he know that the solution is at his fingertips to deploy? Namely, enhanced preemption?
Buffett’s money has tainted much of the policy and media discourse.
Arabella Advisors – Big Money in Dark Shadows, Warren Buffett Ties – Capital Research Group
There are common sense solutions that are hiding in plain sight. Poverty and housing are political footballs to some politicians and professionals.
MHARR and resident leaders are among those that see the need to address through a combination of antitrust action, other legal remedies, applying existing laws, and exposing the corruption through pubic congressional inquiries.
To learn more, see the related reports, further below.
We routinely have more that is directly or indirectly related to the subject covered. Scroll down beyond the byline, offers and notices to see and learn more. We disagree with Buffett on several things, but he is correct about the value of reading, knowing and understanding. If you aren’t already on our industry-leading headline news, you can sign up in seconds free at the link above or below. That a wrap on your Monday morning early edition of manufactured housing’s #1 source for “Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use,” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (News, analysis, and commentary.)
Soheyla is a managing member of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com. Connect with us on LinkedIn here and and here.
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