Hattiesburg, Miss., Nov. 17, 2005 – An overflow audience of more than 475 public officials, private builder/developers, and real estate professionals kicked off the manufactured and modular housing industry’s initiative, “Gulf Coast Housing Initiative: Factory Building the American Dream,” in Hattiesburg, Miss. on Nov. 17. The meeting was highly successful in positioning factory-built homes as an integral part of the permanent rebuilding of homes in the Gulf Coast regions recently hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

“We are extremely encouraged by the positive turnout and strong level of interest shown in factory-built homes during the Hattiesburg meeting,” stated MHI President Chris Stinebert. “We were able to clearly showcase to key decision-makers what the factory-built housing industry can do to provide permanent homes along the Gulf Coast region. We also showed how factory-built homes can be aesthetically compatible with the different architectural styles found in the region and how the industry can give the builder/developers and public officials the kind of homes they want.”

The conference, the first of several industry forums to be held in the region to address the Gulf Coast’s overwhelming housing needs, was sponsored by the Manufactured Housing Institute and the National Modular Housing Council, along with the Mississippi Manufactured Housing Association, Freddie Mac, NeighborWorks America, and the CFED (Corporation for Enterprise Development).

Leland Speed, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority (which oversees all federal and state block grants in the state) opened the conference by stating that “given the tens of thousands of homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, factory-built homes offer a real opportunity” for putting people back in their own homes and that “stick-built homes aren’t even an option.” Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny L. Dupree also welcomed the conference participants and voiced his support for greater use of manufactured and modular homes.

The conference featured a series of educational seminars designed to educate and instruct area officials and builder/developers on how they can maximize the role that manufactured and modular homes can play in the replacement of thousands of homes destroyed by the hurricanes in August and September 2005. Topics covered included special considerations in working with industry manufacturers, financing options, special installation requirements, multi-family options, and case histories of successful community development projects utilizing modular and manufactured homes.

“Our industry is being asked to step forward to help re-build the Mississippi Coast, and I fully believe we are capable and ready to embrace this challenge,” stated Jennifer Hall, executive director of the Mississippi Manufactured Housing Association. “The only true way to re-build a community is to get people back to normal daily activities with their families and that can only be achieved by providing the public with permanent quality homes. Factory-built housing can make that a reality in less time and with less cost.”

“Based on the conversations and questions we heard today in Hattiesburg,” Stinebert stated, “it’s obvious that we made significant progress in educating and persuading people that factory-built homes offer the Gulf Coast region the kinds of homes they want for the region. We now plan to take this initiative to the next step and work with policymakers and builder/developers to begin housing projects utilizing our homes.”

Also featured during the conference was an exhibition – drawing manufacturers, financial lenders, suppliers, and industry consultants – where conference participants and exhibitors could meet with and discuss how manufactured and modular homes could meet particular housing needs. Cavalier Home Builders and Oak Creek Homes (a division of American Homestar) displayed two homes during the meeting so that conference participants could see ‘first hand’ the quality and amenities available in today’s manufactured and modular homes.

A second conference is in the planning stages for Lafayette, La. sometime in mid- to late-January. Additional information on this and other initiative activities will be posted on a special Web site, www.factorybuilthousing.org
as they become available.