Manufactured Housing Association PR Laments “Catastrophe” for Lower Income Americans, Calls on Manufactured Housing Institute for ‘Corrective’ Steps in 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES, February 12, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Drastic 2023 Manufactured Housing Production Decline Warrants Much Stronger Action, per MHARR.

The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) reports that according to official statistics compiled on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), HUD Code manufactured housing industry year-over-year production declined again in December 2023. Just-released statistics indicate that HUD Code manufacturers produced 6,360 new homes in December 2023, a .7% decrease from the 6,406 new HUD Code homes produced in December 2022. Cumulative production for 2023 thus totals 89,169 homes, a 21% decrease from the 112,882 HUD Code homes produced during 2022.

A further analysis of the official industry statistics shows that the top ten shipment states from January 2023 — with monthly, cumulative, current reporting year (2023) and prior year (2022) shipments per category as indicated — are:

See graphic

The December 2023 statistics result in no changes to the top-ten shipment state list.

The final 2023 production statistics reflect a continuing sharp decline in manufactured housing production and shipments that began during the final quarter of 2022 and has continued ever since. This major decline, which would only be deepened and intensified by implementation of the draconian – and unnecessary — U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) May 31, 2022 “energy conservation” standards for HUD Code manufactured homes, represents an ongoing catastrophe for lower and moderate-income American families in need of inherently affordable housing and homeownership. This is especially the case in an environment where the cost of (non-HUD Code) homeownership has ballooned to historically high levels and the need for housing affordability of the sort provided by HUD Code homes has never been greater.

Aside from the impending DOE energy standards, which would only further undermine the industry and its ability to meet the nation’s dire need for affordable housing and homeownership, the sad reality is that the solution to most of the current production decline is actually quite straightforward. Put simply, the industry’s national post-production representation has failed, for far too long, to effectively and aggressively address and resolve the two main bottlenecks that have suppressed industry production and the availability of affordable manufactured housing – i.e., exclusionary zoning and the availability of competitive consumer financing, particularly within the industry’s dominant chattel lending sector. While the industry and its consumers have two good laws to correct these needless roadblocks – i.e., the enhanced preemption of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 and the Duty to Serve provision of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 — the industry’s national post-production representation in Washington, D.C. has been unable to compel the full and proper implementation of these two laws. Accordingly, much stronger action by that representation is essential, while current and ongoing failures should be unacceptable to both the industry and consumers.

If the industry is to achieve any improvement in 2024 and beyond, all of these issues will need to be aggressively and effectively addressed, without apology, through strong defense, protection and advancement of the industry’s most affordable mainstream homes (rather than higher-priced substitutes) and strong advocacy on behalf of consumers and the industry. More meetings, conferences and seminars will not resolve these major bottlenecks. Much stronger action is long overdue.

The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform is a Washington, D.C.- based national trade association representing the views and interests of independent producers of federally-regulated manufactured housing.##

The link to the full MHARR Press Release is found below.

https://manufacturedhousingassociationregulatoryreform.org/drastic-2023-manufactured-housing-production-decline-warrants-much-stronger-action/


More Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR), Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) and Association Related News

https://manufacturedhousingassociationregulatoryreform.org/manufactured-housing-association-for-regulatory-reform-mharr-comments-call-for-withdrawal-of-destructive-doe-manufactured-housing-energy-enforcement-rule/

https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/mhis-attorneys-warned-irreparable-harm-from-doe-looms-mharrs-formal-comments-call-for-withdrawal-of-destructive-doe-manufactured-housing-energy-rule-facts-w-analysis-plus-mhville-markets/

https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/texas-real-estate-research-center-texas-manufactured-housing-association-claim-texas-housing-manufacturers-bullish-heading-into-2024-w-analysis-plus-sunday-weekly-mhville-headlines-review/


More Manufactured Housing Industry Related News

Mobile and Manufactured Home Living News (MHLivingNews.com) released their latest report entitled: “Rise and Fall of HUD Code Manufactured Housing 1995-2023 – Story of the U.S. Affordable Housing Crisis Behind the Facts.”

“The puzzle is why there’s so little (manufactured housing) being shipped when it’s a much better product than it used to be,” said Laurie Goodman, an Urban Institute fellow.” Millions of Americans need and want an affordable home. As the quote above from News Nation reported, manufactured housing: “has historically been a more affordable option.” “Advocates are pushing for legislative change but are met with opposition.” What that News Nation report by Katie Smith on 2.8.2024 began to tackle, this report with analysis and industry expert commentary will elaborate on.

Goodman is correct. Manufactured homes have improved - an important fact that numbers of independent researchers have made over the years. Some of that third-party research is found linked from the report below.

https://www.manufacturedhomelivingnews.com/official-u-s-census-bureau-cost-size-comparisons-of-new-manufactured-homes-to-new-single-family-site-built-homes-facts-for-shoppers-affordable-housing-advocates-public-officials-investors-re/

That new report on MHLivingNews is found at the link below. It cited the latest data released by MHARR. But it also cited a year-by-year total of all HUD Code manufactured home production from 1995 to 2023, along with other facts and analysis.

https://www.manufacturedhomelivingnews.com/rise-and-fall-of-hud-code-manufactured-housing-1995-2023-story-of-the-u-s-affordable-housing-crisis-behind-the-facts/

Antitrust research by Samuel Strommen and the Minneapolis Federal Reserve’s James Schmitz Jr. were reviewed, along with insights from HUD researchers Pamela Blumenthal and Regina Gray, among others.

Among the illustrations was an item produced by high profile Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) member Cavco Industries. According to that source, the lack of affordable housing is costing the U.S. economy some $2 trillion dollars in reduced GDP annually in lower wages and productivity. Bing’s AI powered Copilot was used in several fact checks, but the article was written by what Copilot described as a human manufactured home expert with “accurate” and “astute” insights.

MHLivingNews has also published two reports that unpack research by Oxfam and insights from African born author Hanne Nabintu Herland: “The Billionaire World.” The legal research from Samuel Strommen into antitrust and consumer protection concerns entitled: “The Monopolization of the American Manufactured Home Industry and the Formation of REITs: a Rube Goldberg Machine of Human Suffering” is also unpacked in the report linked below.

https://www.manufacturedhomelivingnews.com/remember-normal-buckle-up-for-manufacturing-consent-oxfam-billionaires-world-and-the-american-dream-reality-check/

https://www.manufacturedhomelivingnews.com/democratic-congressional-staffer-alleged-manufactured-housing-institute-mhi-anti-consumer-manufactured-housing-institute-leaders-decline-comment-sam-strommen-antitrust-case-allegations-anal/

Speaking of human suffering, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge was recently quoted as saying that the “Rent is too damn high!” and that “landlord gouging” hurts Black and Brown households. That new report on MHProNews explorers Fudge’s remarks in a fact check and analysis linked below.

https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/hud-secretary-marcia-fudge-said-the-rent-is-too-damn-high-landlord-gouging-hurts-black-brown-renters-what-huds-fudge-did-didnt-say-about-mh-plus-sunday-weekly-mhville-headlines-re/

Publicly Traded Corporate Quarterly Earnings Calls and Reports Examined by MHProNews

The earnings call and/or quarterly and year end statements by Cavco Industries (CVCO), Skyline Champion (SKY), Nobility Homes (NOBH), and Equity LifeStyle Properties (ELS) are found in the following reports on MHProNews.

https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/q3-2024-cavco-industries-inc-earnings-call-illustrates-benjamin-franklin-gates-quote-if-theres-something-wrong-those-who-have-the-ability-to-take-action-have-the-responsibility-to-take-action/

https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/while-manufactured-housing-declined-nationally-nobility-homes-announced-record-sales-in-2023-no-debt-strong-cash-position-president-terry-trexler-explains-in-remarks-plu/

https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/trend-to-lower-cost-homes-sales-down-500m-in-cash-mhcs-ca-down-34-skyline-champion-sky-2-5-2024-earnings-transcript-calls-into-question-corporate-association-leadership-plus-mhmar/

https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/100m-equity-lifestyle-properties-els-marguerite-nader-president-ceo-patrick-waite-evp-coo-paul-seavey-evp-cfo-in-q4-2023-earnings-call-transcript-2024-eye-opening-fact-checks-and-analysis/

In an ELS related report, MHProNews examines the announced investigations by several law firms caused for possible harm to shareholders when Equity LifeStyle Properties (ELS) admitted in an SEC filing that they had erred and so notified investors.

https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/after-els-admits-error-attorney-calls-for-whistleblowers-vs-equity-lifestyle-properties-multiple-law-firms-announce-investigations-on-behalf-of-els-investors-mhville-expose-plus-mhmarkets/


About MHARR

The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) was established on July 3, 1985 as the “Association for Regulatory Reform” (ARR). The Association changed to its current name in the summer of 1997.

Based in Washington D.C. since its founding, MHARR was formed to represent the views and interests of producers of manufactured housing


About ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com

Mobile Home Living News and Manufactured Home Living News explores the good, bad, meh, and ugly realities that keep the most proven form of affordable home ownership under-appreciated and misunderstood.

MHLivingNews.com provides third-party research and other resource collections and reports not found on other sites. It is the widely acknowledged best source for authentic news on mobile and manufactured home living, as well as the policies that impact this segment of housing that provides 22 million Americans with good, surprisingly appealing living.


About Manufactured Home Pro News

Manufactured Home Pro News (MHProNews) is the leading manufactured home industry focused trade media. MHProNews provides news, analysis, and industry expert commentary on the manufactured housing industry.

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MHProNews also features interviews, editorials, and opinions from industry experts and professionals. MHProNews cites third-party sources in its claim to be the “#1 most-read trade media in manufactured housing” © and the fact-check or "reality check source for the manufactured housing industry." Their tage lines and mottos include manufactured home "Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use" © where "We Provide, You Decide." © ###

L. A. "Tony" Kovach
MHProNews.com/MHLivingNews.com
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