TampaBay reports a $33 million program over the past 12 years to retrofit thousands of pre-HUD Code homes with anchors to make them more storm resistant has come under fire for not living up to its expectations. Longtime manufactured housing supply businessman and lobbyist for the MH industry, Ken Cashin, …
TheProvince reports from British Columbia, Canada, that several manufactured and modular housing producers in Canada are making small modular homes that can legally be placed beside or behind an existing single-family dwelling, where permitted. Called garden or “granny” suites, the portable homes have a kitchen, one or two bedrooms, bathroom …
“Granny” Modular Homes May be Sited Next to Family Home Read More
St. Clair Times reports from Alabama the Argo zoning board will consider a proposed ordinance to allow more manufactured homes into an area that has been home to MHs for many years. In changing the zoning from “high-density residential” to “manufactured home zoning,” the ordinance would disallow manufactured homes over …
Rezoning Proposal Creates Conflict of Interest Charges Read More
NationalMortgageNews reports a Senate Banking Committee hearing to discuss the work regulators are doing at six different agencies to implement Dodd-Frank became embroiled in an exchange about a seventh agency not in the room. Legislators sparred over the impending vote of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau …
Senate Committee Sidetracked by CFPB Head Nomination Read More
Daily-Times reports from Kirtland, New Mexico, the San Juan County Commissioners will be voting Dec. 6, 2011, on an ordinance that will require future developers of MHCs to obtain county approval and pay a plan-review fee. The water and septic service must be approved by the New Mexico Environment Department, …
In a follow-up to a story we published Nov. 30, MontgomeryAdvertiser reports from Alabama some state probate officials continue to impede registration of manufactured homes belonging to undocumented aliens despite a federal court issuing a temporary restraining order through Dec.7 blocking that part of the Alabama law. Section 30 of …
MHProNews has received a communique from the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) noting a copy of a letter on the stationery of Rep. Spencer Bacchus (R-Ala.), Chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Committee. The letter is …
Congressional Committee asks for GAO Probe of HUD MH Program Read More
NationalMortgageNews states the robo-signing scandal has led to such a tight pipeline in the foreclosure process that only 10,000 a month are being processed by FHA (Federal Housing Authority)-approved servicers, but that will clear as the agency pays for a surge on defaulted loans. FHA paid $14.9 billion in fiscal …
The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) participated in the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee’s field hearing on “The State of Manufactured Housing” held in Danville, VA Nov. 29, 2011, submitting written testimony on the need for congressional oversight of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s manufactured housing …
MHARR Pans Field Hearing: HUD is the Bigger Hurdle Read More
In a follow-up to a story we wrote Nov. 28, 2011, the DecaturDaily in Alabama reports a federal judge’s temporary restraining order prohibits county officials from verifying the residency status of persons applying for a MH license. Morgan County License Commissioner Sue Baker Roan said she processed 341 applications Nov. …
At the “State of the Manufactured Housing Industry” Congressional Field Hearings in Danville, Virginia, Nov. 29, members of the House Congressional Subcommittee on Housing, Insurance, and Community Opportunity heard from a variety of persons in the MH arena. Henry Czauski, Acting Deputy Administrator for the Office of Manufactured Housing programs, …
MH Field Hearing Yields HUD, MHI, Industry, and Resident Viewpoints Read More
In a follow-up to a story from Nov. 25, 2011, TheWetumpkaHerald in Elnore, Alabama, reports a federal lawsuit challenging Alabama’s illegal immigration enforcement act has been filed, naming Elnore County’s Probate Judge Jimmy Stubbs and Revenue Commissioner Julie Magee as defendants. Two illegal immigrants, named John Doe 1 and John …
Alabama Illegal Immigrant Law Leads to Class Action Suit Read More
In a follow-up to our story Nov. 22, USAToday reports from Alabama a federal court struck down parts of Alabama’s HB 56 that forbids illegal immigrants from conducting any business transactions with the state, which would include manufactured housing permits. U.S. Judge Myron Thompson ruled illegal immigrants cannot be denied …
The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) and the Manufactured Housing Institute, acting jointly as the Coalition to Advance Manufactured Housing (Coalition), held a 30-minute follow-up conference call Nov. 22, 2011 with Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Commissioner Carole Galante, and Housing and Urban Development’s program manager, Henry Czauski, to …
NationalMortgageNews reports the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) says the 12 national banks under regulatory orders to reform their mortgage servicing and foreclosure methods are making progress. Having agreed to the review in April, the banks have streamlined procedures for guiding struggling homeowners through the loan modification …
NLRTimes reports the North Little Rock (AR) City Council could not reach agreement on whether to change the zoning laws that would ban manufactured housing from an area called Crystal Hill. Crystal Hill residents have expressed opposition to becoming subject to zoning laws of North Little Rock, while Mayor Patrick …
Bill to Allow MH in Neighborhood Returned to Planning Commission Read More
TheTandD reports from South Carolina the Orangeburg County Planning Commission has finalized zoning plans that would allow single-section manufactured homes to be sited in an area already populated by site-built and sectional manufactured homes. During their November meeting the commissioners approved the creation of the RS-2 Single-family/Manufactured Home District. According …
SaltLakeTribune reports about two dozen land lease community (LLC) residents attended a Capitol Hill Business and Labor Committee hearing to support legislation that calls for mediation in cases of MHC owner-resident disputes. Rep. Janice Fisher (D-West Valley City) introduced a bill that would provide for nonbinding mediation if the rent …
Utah Legislature Dealing with MHC Owner-resident Mediation Read More
MHARR (Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform) says Nov. 14, 2011, a House-Senate conference committee approved cutting HUD’s $14 million MH budget request to $6.5 million. MHARR has continually pointed out that HUD added contractors and program staff to the MH program as production declined. The report says the proposed …
Daily-Times reports from Farmington, New Mexico, that in San Juan County, in the northwestern corner of the state, the county commissioners took another step towards regulating manufactured home communities. An ordinance was passed requiring developers to obtain a license from the community development department and pay a fee for building …
