MHI Summer Meeting Highly Successful in Grassroots Teamwork and Increasing MHI’s Visibility in Washington, D.C.

MHI began this year with a firm commitment to an intensified government relations grassroots effort. The MHI Legislative Conference and Summer Meeting held this week in Washington D. C. was highly successful; with MHI members completing almost 100 visits to Representatives and Senators to press home the importance of manufactured housing. MHI members lobbied on several key issues facing the industry including SAFE Act reform, GSE reforms and financing issues, and a home replacement program intended to help stimulate the industry, provide jobs, and place our customers in more energy efficient homes.

MHI members began the Legislative Conference on Wednesday morning with an impressive list of keynote speakers including Congressman Bill Posey (R-15th FL), Bob Ryan, the Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Risk Management and Regulatory Affairs for the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Former Congressman Martin Frost (D-TX). Attendees were briefed on the key legislative issues of the SAFE Act, GSE reform and energy efficiency, and headed to Capitol Hill. The day was topped off by the Manufactured Housing Caucus Reception which drew over a hundred Members of Congress and staff in the middle of a hectic voting schedule. MHI would like to thank all participants and members who helped make the Legislative Conference a tremendous success.

FHA’s DAS Bob Ryan was the featured Administration speaker during the General Session on Wednesday morning where he outlined plans and efforts to better manage the FHA loan program, and reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to work with MHI to revive manufactured housing. Ryan said that FHA and Ginnie Mae will work together to ensure a strong secondary market for manufactured homes financed under the FHA program. He said that greater transparency, ongoing monitoring of loan performance and underwriting, and an increase in risk sharing will be the foundations for a robust manufactured home lending environment. He said that FHA is working jointly with MHI on the tasks identified at the Manufactured Housing Lenders Forum last month. Ryan’s presentation can be viewed by clicking here.

Teresa Payne, the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Manufactured Housing and Regulatory Affairs, addressed the group on Thursday morning and updated the audience on HUD’s response to MHI’s three point plan on enhanced financing, updating the standards and protecting preemption. With the FHA and Ginnie Mae program underway, she briefed the audience on three recent proposed HUD rules for changes to the HUD Code recommended by the MHCC over the last couple of years—a proposed rule on testing procedures for roof trusses recommended by the MHCC in 2004, a more flexible process for on-site construction completion of manufactured homes, and the second set of comprehensive changes to the HUD Code recommended by the MHCC in 2006. Payne also said that the Department is committed to ensuring and protecting preemption of the HUD Code, and understands its importance to the viability of the industry.

In other meetings, members of the National Retailers Council (NRC) heard from the Deputy Director of the Office of Rural Development, Joaquin Tremols on the USDA’s Rural Housing programs. Tremols gave a brief presentation on the Section 502 Loan Guarantee and Direct Loan Program, and answered member’s numerous questions. He said that the field offices should be carrying out their responsibilities in a consistent and uniform manner, and encouraged MHI members to work with state USDA offices if there are problems with local offices.

James Woods, Program Manager, Industry Liaison Program, at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, gave members of the Manufactured Housing Division and Technical Activities Committee a briefing on doing business with FEMA. He also announced plans to invite industry representatives to meet with FEMA representatives in a daylong session to understand the process for procuring business with FEMA. Joel Pirrone, Special Assistant at FEMA, briefly discussed FEMA’s plans to issue additional Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) for manufactured homes and park models, and gave and gave the group some pointers on how to be a successful bidder. He also said that FEMA would like to work with MHI and its members on revising specifications for the next round of (RFP’s). This was a very informative presentation and allowed manufacturers to have a better understanding on how the FEMA process works. A copy of the FEMA presentation can be found by clicking here.

Finally, the MHI Board of Directors passed a resolution recommended by the Government Relations Committee and the Manufactured Housing Division, to seek a legislative remedy regarding the energy standards for manufactured housing currently under development by the Department of Energy (DOE). The proposed legislation will direct the DOE to consider affordability in setting the standards, and will return the jurisdiction for compliance and enforcement to HUD. MHI members also met with DOE representatives to explore research and marketing opportunities for manufactured housing and to discuss and answer questions by DOE on the proposed energy standards

The MHI Suppliers Division called on MHI staff to work with ground anchor suppliers to seek revisions to proposed ground anchor testing procedures before the MHCC. The National Retailers Council will work with the Technical Activities Committee on proposed changes to the HUD code regarding on-site construction, and the National Communities Council voted to form an executive committee in order to more effectively work together between MHI meetings on important issues affecting communities.