MHI Statement on Dr. Ben Carson Being Chosen to be Nominated as HUD Secretary

Arlington, VA – December 6, 2016 – (RealEstateRama) — Richard Jennison, President & CEO of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), issued the following statement on Dr. Ben Carson being chosen to be nominated as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

“I congratulate Dr. Ben Carson upon the announcement that President-Elect Trump will nominate Carson as the Secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. MHI appreciates President-Elect Trump’s recognition that it will take a strong leader with national prominence to change the direction of our national housing policy and break down the barriers that have hindered the availability and affordability of housing across the country. We are enthusiastic about the high profile that the President-Elect has placed on this important agency with Dr. Carson’s nomination.

We look forward to working with Dr. Carson and his team to ensure he recognizes that a robust manufactured housing market is critical to increasing the availability of affordable housing, which is in short supply in many parts of the country. During this critical time for our nation’s housing markets, manufactured housing provides a reliable, and affordable supply of homes that meet a variety of housing and lifestyle needs.

As the primary regulator for manufactured housing, we must ensure that HUD’s regulations are reformed to foster housing affordability, uniformity and ease of compliance, and to minimize discrepancies and overlap with state and local codes. We hope that Dr. Carson and his team at HUD will revisit recent regulations that are cost prohibitive for consumers seeking to purchase a manufactured home, including the on-site rule, installation guidance and energy efficiency regulations. We also encourage him to address regulatory barriers to manufactured housing finance.

The housing crisis extends beyond inner-cities. We sincerely hope that President-Elect Trump and Dr. Carson will dedicate resources and attention to addressing the housing challenges, including those in rural America, and we stand ready to assist them in their efforts.”

Manufactured homes serve many housing needs in a wide range of communities—from rural areas where housing alternatives (rental or purchase) are few and construction labor is scarce and/or costly, to higher-cost metropolitan areas. Manufactured homes are a critical source of affordable housing for more than 22 million working families. The cost of a manufactured home is up to 35 percent less than the cost of a comparable site-built home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The affordability of manufactured homes has long made them the preferred choice for many families, including first-time homebuyers, retirees and families in rural areas.

MHI is the only national trade organization representing all segments of the factory-built housing industry. MHI members include home builders, lenders, home retailers, community owners and managers, suppliers and 50-affiliated state organizations. MHI members represent about 85 percent of manufactured homes produced each year. Visit us on Twitter @MHIUpdate, and
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