As the new chair of the MHI National Communities Council, I would first like to thank the members of the NCC for giving me the tremendous honor of representing their interests, and I can promise I will continue to work on behalf of all community owners, who provide an important source of quality homes and communities to millions of Americans. As the NCC celebrated its 10th anniversary over the past year, it has become even more evident just how vital a role the NCC plays in advancing the interests of manufactured home community owners, operators and developers. I am very excited about working on the many challenges being faced by our members and encourage all NCC members to share their thoughts and concerns with me over the coming year.

There is certainly no shortage of issues challenging community owners. One current pressing issue is our response to the recent appeals court decision in our lawsuit against EPA over its submetering policy for consecutive water systems. It was clear from the decision that the court decided to defer to EPA and its authority under the Safe Drinking Water Act rather than address the substantive issues raised by EPA’s illogical policy. As you may know, in December 2003 EPA exempted apartment building owners who submeter and bill residents for municipal water from water testing yet the agency did not grant the same exemption to community owners and other property owners who do exactly the same thing. While we can criticize the court decision, it is more important that we take the next steps to change this discriminatory policy. That’s why you can expect the NCC to be at the forefront in the next session of Congress seeking a permanent legislative solution to this issue.

At the same time, we will need to continue our legislative efforts to reform the FHA Title I chattel financing program to expand the pool of competitive financing for homebuyers in communities. Our legislation was passed overwhelmingly in the House this past summer but has not made it through the Senate. We will need the support of every community owner during the next session of Congress to achieve passage of this vital reform legislation, especially in light of the change of party control.

Over the coming year, the NCC will also continue its efforts to improve the image of communities and promote a healthy resale market—both of which are key to the long-term success of our industry. You can expect the NCC to be part of any national image campaign launched by MHI and to continue initiatives such as implementation of the Community Attributes System and development of a national MLS. We are also in the planning stages of the NCC’s 2007 Sales and Marketing Forum to take place in April in Las Vegas. Following the success of the 2006 Resident Relations Forum, you can be sure that the Sales and Marketing Forum will also provide a wealth of information and networking opportunities.

As an NCC member, if you have any thoughts or issues you would like to raise, please feel free to contact me at umh2@aol.com. I look forward to working with you over the coming year.

Christine Lindsey
Chair, National Communities Council
Vice President Sales, UMH Properties