HUD Holds a COSAA Meeting this Week

MHI staff participated in a meeting of the Council of State Administrative Agencies (COSAA) held in Washington D.C. September 13-15. Approximately 85 people attended the meeting, including 30 States, several manufactures, suppliers, state association executives and virtually all of the Primary Inspections Agencies.

The COSAA co-chairs, Mark Luttich (Nebraska SAA) and Tim King (New York SAA) called on HUD to fund its organization so it can meet more regularly, at least once a year either in regional meetings or nationally. HUD said that it plans to hold regional meetings next year and another national meeting in 2012. The COSAA elected new officers and committed to training and orientation of the numerous new members of the group. COSAA agreed to become more involved in the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee, and communicate more often with its industry partners, as well as participate in a COSAA blog that will be hosted by the California SAA.

The group discussed the funding challenges in their states. All states represented said that they are pleased with their progress implementing and administering the manufactured home installation and dispute resolution programs. The number of consumer complaints has fallen and the programs have provided a much needed source of revenue for the SAA's. Several states are considering eliminating their SAA program and several have said that they cannot adequately fulfill their SAA responsibilities because of funding limits. HUD said it is looking at ways to provide more funding to the SAA's. A number of SAA's worked with the industry to raise fees for their inspection programs.

During the three days the COSAA met in regional groups to discuss issues affecting their individual states, and held plenary sessions on fire sprinklers, quality assurance, DOE energy standards for manufactured housing, FEMA Disaster Units, and the FHA manufactured home loan programs. Several States gave presentations on their dispute resolution programs and state installation programs. HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary for Risk Management and Regulatory Affairs, Teresa Payne, participated in a panel on quality assurance saying that she believes that this cooperative effort with manufacturers, HUD and the states will contribute to a resurgence of growth in manufactured housing. Robert Ryan, HUD's Assistant Secretary for Risk Management and Regulatory Affairs addressed the group and discussed his role in the Department's risk management initiatives.

HUD said that it hopes to have a final rule out next year to allow homes insured under the FHA Title II program to be installed in accordance with HUD approved state installation programs. The Department of Energy said it expects to have a proposed rule on new energy standards for manufactured homes published in the Federal Register in early 2011.

The Primary Inspection Agencies (PIA's) held a lively meeting with HUD and its contractor, IBTS, to discuss among other things, the HUD Quality Assurance (QA) Initiative. HUD announced that it will hold a meeting with PIA's in November to discuss the auditing process under the QA initiative.

COSAA ended its meeting by electing two new co-chairs, Mark Luttich (Nebraska) and Dan Chapman (Kentucky). Debra Blake (Arizona) was elected Secretary.

For a full summary, please click here.