A Good Day in D.C. for Manufactured Housing, Regulatory Reform
Skyline Champion President and CEO and MHI Board Member Mark Yost as well as MHI CEO Lesli Gooch joined an small group at the White House today where President Trump today spoke about the administration’s efforts to promote economic growth and prosperity by eliminating regulatory barriers.
MHI and its members are working closely with the Administration to prioritize manufactured housing as a critical unsubsidized affordable housing option.
“Under the Trump Administration, HUD’s approach to the regulation of manufactured homes has changed, ensuring the industry can support the ‘American Dream’ of homeownership for more people,” Yost said.
“I was honored to represent our industry at this event and look forward to continuing to work with the administration to ensure manufactured home builders are able to offer consumers the latest innovations, technologies, and features without regulatory impediments that limit availability and drive up costs for our customers.
Yost said the collaboration between the administration and the manufactured housing industry is commendable, with the acknowledgement and understanding of the critical service the industry satifisies toward meeting the nation’s affordable housing challenge.
Skyline Champion in Washington on Regulatory Advocacy
Skyline Champion is the largest publicly traded factory-built housing company in the country. Yost was invited to represent the industry and the organization last June to display a pair of furnished, HUD-code manufactured homes on the National Mall.
Skyline Champion leaders also have participated in roundtable discussions with HUD Secretary Ben Carson to carry out President Trump’s Executive Order directing federal agencies to work together to facilitate the production of affordable housing and alleviate regulatory barriers at the federal, state, and local levels.
Yost testified before the Senate Banking Committee last November and, as a result of his testimony, Congress passed legislation to support the inclusion of manufactured homes in state and local community development planning.
National Advocacy for Manufactured Housing
Through the advocacy of MHI and its members, this administration has comprehensively reviewed HUD’s policies and regulations over manufactured housing and HUD has proposed the first extensive changes to the HUD Code in nearly a decade. The HUD Code has not been so broadly or substantially updated in years. Proposed changes include new standards for attached garages, carports, decks, and accessory buildings.
“This administration recognized early on that because the HUD Code had not been updated in decades and because regulatory oversight had become an impediment to cost and innovation, it was increasingly difficult for manufactured home builders to offer consumers the latest innovations, technologies, and features,” Gooch said.
“Not only is HUD making long-needed changes to our federal building code to support even greater innovations and efficiencies in our homes, but the administration is also looking at ways to eliminate regulatory barriers at the state and local level that limit the placement of HUD Code homes in communities where affordable housing is needed most. In addition, the Administration continues to make progress in ensuring government-sponsored financing programs are available for Americans seeking to purchase manufactured homes, including CrossMod homes.“
Further, at the direction of the administration, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration have continued their efforts to improve access to financing for manufactured housing.
Response to COVID Crisis, Restrictions
During the COVID pandemic, the Administration acted quickly to resolve supply chain challenges by issuing its first-ever, industry-wide Alternative Construction letter allowing manufacturers to provide homes throughout the crisis.
MHI commends President Trump for taking the necessary steps to create a better regulatory environment for American businesses. The reversal of burdensome overregulation to support our national infrastructure will help ensure affordable housing is available in rural communities and across the country where it is most needed. MHI is committed to continuing our work with the Administration to create a better regulatory environment for the industry.
“We are extremely encouraged by the steps the administration is taking to change its approach to the regulation of manufactured home production,” MHI President Mark Bowersox said. “The efforts and dedication of this Administration to prioritize manufactured housing as a critical unsubsidized affordable housing option and its continued progress to make government-sponsored financing programs available for today’s manufactured homes will support more Americans becoming homeowners.”
