MHMSM.com presents Factory Built Housing Industry News at Noon with Erin Patla
Coming up, Great News in MHI’s Monthly Economic Report
But first…these stories:
NAHB to Sue EPA Over Lead Paint Regulations
July 8, 2010 – A coalition of housing industry groups joined the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today in announcing plans to file a lawsuit against the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for removing the “opt-out” provision from its Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting rule.
The Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting rule (LRRP) applies to homes constructed before 1978 when lead paint was banned. Its opt-out provision, which expired July 6, let consumers allow contractors to bypass extra preparation, clean-up and recordkeeping requirements in homes where there were no children under 6 or pregnant women, thus avoiding additional costs.
“Removing the opt-out provision more than doubles the number of homes subject to the regulation,” said NAHB Chairman Bob Jones, a home builder and developer in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. “About 79 million homes are affected, even though EPA estimates that only 38 million homes contain lead-based paint. Removing the opt-out provision extends the rule to consumers who need no protection.”
The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association and the Window and Door Manufacturers Association joined NAHB in filing the petition for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
The group will challenge EPA’s action on the grounds that the agency substantially amended its LRRP regulation without any new scientific data and before the regulation was even put into place on April 22, 2010.
“Even under the original rule, the opt-out provision was not available in homes where small children or pregnant women live,” Jones said. “That shows that this change provides no additional protection to the people who are most vulnerable to lead-based paint hazards.”
Remodelers’ and other contractors’ estimates of the additional costs associated with the lead-safe work practices average about $2,400, but vary according to the size and type of job. For example, a complete window replacement requires the contractor to install thick vinyl sheeting to surround the work area both inside the home and outdoors – with prep time and material costs adding an estimated $60 to $170 for each window.
“Consumers trying to use rebates and incentive programs to make their homes more energy efficient will likely find those savings eaten up by the costs of the rule’s requirements. Worse, these costs may drive many consumers – even those with small children – to seek uncertified remodelers and other contractors. Others will likely choose to do the work themselves – or not do it at all – to save money. That does nothing to protect the population this rule was designed to safeguard,” Jones said.
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“Up next, Great News in MHI’s Monthly Economic Report“
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and “Now, back to the news…”
Great News in MHI’s Monthly Economic Report
5,023 Manufactured Homes Shipped in May 2010, up 16.9 Percent from May 2009
MHI’s Monthly Economic Report© for May 2010 is now available.
The Manufactured Housing Institute’s actual shipments report indicates that 5,023 new HUDCode homes were shipped in May 2010, up 16.9 percent from May 2009. Increases were across the board with both single-section and multi-section homes shipments up compared with the same month last year.
In comparison with the first five months of 2009, 2010 started off with a decline in January (down 17.4 percent), shipments in February was essentially flat, followed by gains in March, April and May. In net, industry shipments for the first five months of this year stands at 20,972 homes compared with 19,937 homes in 2009, a year-to-date increase of 5.2 percent.
The seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of shipments was 55,703 in May, marginally down by 1.6 percent from the rate of 56,616 posted in April. The SAAR corrects for normal seasonal variations in shipments and projects an annual shipments pace based on the current monthly total.
Total floors shipped in May 2010 were 8,199, up 15 percent from the same month in 2009. The number of plants reporting production in May was 135, and the number of reporting corporations was 58, both unchanged from last month.
If you are an MHI member, you can also access the report on MHI’s website at www.manufacturedhousing.org.
“On behalf of Production and IT Manager Bob Stovall, Associate Editor Catherine Frenzel, Industry in Focus reporter Eric Miller, Editor L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach, and the entire MHMSM.com writing and support team, this is Erin Patla, G’day!”