MHI Applauds the New Democrat Coalition’s Housing Action Plan

MHI applauds the Housing Action Plan released by the New Democrat Coalition, which identifies actions the federal government can take to address our nation’s housing crisis. MHI is particularly pleased that the Plan recognizes the critical role manufactured housing plays in affordable homeownership, with its statement that the federal government should “ensure federal standards support the availability of manufactured housing as an affordable housing resource.”

The New Democratic Coalition Plan calls on HUD to “streamline their standard setting to enhance energy efficiency and preserve affordability in consultation with its Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee” (MHCC). It is critical that HUD’s 50 year exclusive jurisdiction over uniform manufactured home safety, construction, and energy efficiency standards be maintained. The MHCC – HUD’s non-partisan panel of experts, including consumer representatives – has developed energy standards that balance significant energy efficiency improvements with housing affordability. HUD should promptly adopt these MHCC standards.

The New Democratic Coalition Plan also recommends that “Congress should investigate whether the requirement that manufactured homes be built with a permanent chassis limits affordability, development, and reuse.” More flexibility here could increase the availability of manufactured homes, which are by far THE most affordable homeownership option for American families. MHI also applauds the Plan for calling attention to local zoning impediments to the creation of new affordable manufactured homes.

Commenting on the Plan, MHI’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Lesli Gooch, said, “MHI looks forward to working with the New Democrat Coalition and Congress on a bipartisan basis to advance legislation to increase affordable manufactured housing homeownership opportunities for working families.”