Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.), Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), and Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) sponsored The Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act, HR 1779, which will amend the provisions in Dodd-Frank that curtail the availability of manufactured housing loans. In remarks in the Congressional Record of April 26, 2013, Rep. Fincher, while noting the importance of manufactured homes as affordable housing that many families rely on, states the housing turndown resulted in an 80 percent reduction in the production of MH, the closing of 160 plants, and the loss of 200,000 jobs. He says the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued guidelines as required under the Dodd-Frank Act that will classify many manufactured home loans as predatory and high-cost under the Home Ownership Equity and Protection Act (HOEPA). He says, “ Simply put the cost of originating and servicing a $250,000 loan and a $25,000 loan are the same in terms of real dollars, but the cost as a percentage of each loan’s size is significantly different. This difference causes the smaller-sized manufactured home loan to potentially exceed the new HOEPA thresholds set by Dodd-Frank and be categorized as a high-cost mortgage and stigmatized as predatory, even though there is nothing predatory about the features of the loan. The liabilities associated with making and obtaining a HOEPA high-cost mortgage will likely prevent lenders from offering loans to low and moderate-income homebuyers, denying families access to necessary credit for new and existing manufactured homes.” Noting the business model for buying manufactured homes differs from a traditional mortgage, he adds the measure would also remove manufactured home retailers and salespersons from being classified as loan originators, providing they do not receive compensation from a lender. As MHProNews reported April 27, the Senate will be considering a similar bill. For the entire entry into the Congressional Record, please click here.
