4 of Top 10 MH States’ Shipments Dip-Latest Manufactured Housing Industry Production Data; Notice-It’s Not the Job of Honest Trade Media to Crash Problematic Corporate Stocks-However–MHVille FEA
MHProNews will mention, but not focus on, the very public spat between billionaires Elon Musk and President of the United States (POTUS) Donald J. Trump, that may or may not prove later to be useful. MHProNews will mention, but not focus on, the tease that POTUS Trump and China may be closing in on a trade deal that may or may not prove to be better for America or the planet depending on how it goes. MHProNews will mention Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) rulings that could prove to be useful and in some ways are surprising. Those are mentioned as part of the broader tapestry of what is occurring in the nation and world as the latest manufactured housing industry statistics are released per the press release provided by the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) that reveals information publicly that the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) fails to similarly share, despite what MHARR, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), or the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) and others do monthly. As significant as first portion of the headline today should be, perhaps the portion of the headline that mentions the potential impact of MHVille facts-evidence-analysis (FEA) may or may not impact this or that corporate MHI member stock as a result of reporting will be explored as part of the editorial commentary in Part II.
With that brief preface, let’s dive into the latest official data on national HUD Code manufactured housing production per MHARR. Note that the Excel style table in what follows was inserted by MHProNews, but the facts used in that table were as provided by MHARR.
Part I
The header above was produced by MHProNews, not MHARR, but is used by MHProNews, MHLivingNews and in articles by this writer for added clarity as to the source for what follows.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: MHARR
(202) 783-4087
INDUSTRY PRODUCTION RISES IN APRIL 2025
Washington, D.C., June 4, 2025 – 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 increased in April 2025. Just-released statistics indicate that HUD Code manufacturers produced 9,454 new homes in April 2025, a 5.3% increase over the 8,971 new HUD Code homes produced in April 2024. Cumulative production for 2025 now totals 35,642 new HUD Code homes, as compared with 33,248 over the same period in 2024, a 7.2% increase.
A further analysis of the official industry statistics shows that the top ten shipment states from January 2023 — with monthly, cumulative, current reporting year (2025) and prior year (2024) shipments per category as indicated — are:
Rank
State
Current Month
Cumulative
2025
2024
(April 2025)
1
Texas
1,650
39,631
6,195
6,189
2
Florida
611
17,022
2,255
2560
3
N.C.
611
14,138
2,216
2,246
4
Alabama
477
13,133
1,892
1,987
5
S.C
478
11,352
1,878
1,695
6
Louisiana
464
10,977
1,745
1,690
7
Georgia
430
10,147
1,671
1,533
8
Mississippi
400
8,423
1,518
1,328
9
Tennessee
325
8,408
1,369
1,305
10
Kentucky
315
8,374
1,262
1,310
The April 2025 statistics move Mississippi into eighth place on the cumulative top-ten list, while Tennessee and Kentucky move to 9th and 10th place respectively.
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.
— 30 —
Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) 1331 Pennsylvania Ave N.W., Suite 512 Washington D.C. 20004 Phone: 202/783-4087 Fax: 202/783-4075 Email: MHARRDG@AOL.COM Website: www.manufacturedhousingassociation.org
—
The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) manufactured housing production data is available for re-publication in full (i.e., without alteration or substantive modification) without further permission and with proper attribution and/or link back to MHARR.
Part II – Additional Facts-Evidence-Analysis and MHProNews Commentary
In no particular order of importance are the following points.
1). To dot the i on the part of the headline that mentions four (4) of the top ten (10) manufactured housing shipment states dipped, per the data provided by MHARR – which is based on information collected by HUD’s contractor – number 2 Florida (FL), number 3 North Carolina (NC), number 4 Alabama (AL) and number 10 Kentucky (KY) shipments are all trailing the cumulative year-to-date (YTD) totals in 2025 vs. 2024. Number 1 Texas (TX) is barely ahead of its 2024 shipment levels. Those and other data points above ought to be cautionary flags for manufactured housing professionals, affordable housing seekers, retail (vs. institutional) investors, taxpayers, and others concerned with the multi-million-unit shortage of manufactured homes. It should be recalled that prior MHI president and CEO Richard “Dick” Jennison, who is not (yet) one of those prior senior MHI staffers (presidents/CEOs and vice presidents) whose names have been culled from the public side of the MHI website, said to a room with dozens of manufactured housing professionals present that was video recorded that manufactured housing can achieve 500,000 new HUD Code shipments annually.
That statement by Jennison was about a decade ago. Which begs the question. Why haven’t MHI corporate and staff leaders achieved that goal? Perhaps more to the point, why is the industry nationally operating at only about 1/5th of that goal at this time?
2) Jennison was arguably not wrong on the broader point that 500,000 units a year should be a reasonable goal for manufactured housing. The pre-HUD Code manufactured housing industry (then, mobile homes) surpassed 500,000 units in the early 1970s for two years in a row (see production-by-years graphics further below). During that same address, some might say MHI’s prior president and CEO also wasn’t wrong in saying the MHProNews is a “great” publication.
3) Jennison is far from alone in offering public praise for MHProNews and/or our MHLivingNews sister site, numbers of whom were or are members of MHI. To see the graphic below in a larger or full size, in most devices/browsers, you can click here and follow the prompts or click the image below and follow the prompts.
4) MHProNews notes that the above is not periodically posted in order to boost our own egos.
Rather, it is important evidence that may be part of the reason that MHI and/or some MHI linked corporate entities have threatened (but never actually acted) to sue this publication over our reporting and analysis.
Imagine, for a few moments, the verbal gymnastics MHI leaders and/or their attorneys would have to jump through to attack or disparage MHProNews’ reporting and analysis in the light of years of praise for doing what we’ve long done? Namely, publishing insights based on known evidence?
So, there are logically several reasons that MHI and its insiders haven’t acted, and these are in the backdrop of the stock-impact part of the headline for today’s report with analysis. That said, let’s stress that MHI previously threatened MHProNews over extensive quotes of MHI materials, why is that so? Indeed, a suit by MHI and/or one of its ‘insider’ brands could countersue if they ever did sue. But hold those thoughts and focus on the next question in bold below.
Why would MHI leaders want to oppose accurate and extensive (or complete) quotes of their own statements provided to readers in a proper context?
6) But as or more important is this. MHProNews spotlights facts. We provided well documented evidence, sometimes with annotation to help make clear what the document or evidence means. We have uniquely dived into the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a third-party tool to double check the reports with analysis. As Copilot, Gemini, and xAI’s Grok have often said, our reports are factually accurate and supported by known evidence. One of several examples is found in the annotated screen capture below.
7) That said, as MHProNews previously reported, MHI has threatened in word and deed MHProNews multiple times, as a careful scan of this website documents and would reveal. While it may seem awkward at first that MHProNews previously uplifted MHI for some time, that is relevant to the broader discussion about what MHI’s authentic vs. postured purpose in the 21st century appears to be. When Copilot, Gemini, or xAI’s Grok blast MHI for a lack of transparency and for apparently deceptive behavior, those same platforms have pointed out that MHARR has avoided the kind of controversies that MHI and several of its corporate leaders have apparently generated by their behavior.MHProNews isn’t in the mud-slinging business. Our leadership aren’t in the slurring business. MHProNews is in the business of providing a bright light on manufactured housing industry realities that in turn could and should lead to fixing what is wrong with what passes as industry ‘leadership.’ The facts speak volumes. To see the item below in a larger size click here and follow the prompts.
MHProNews Note: depending on your browser or device, many images in this report can be clicked to expand. For example, in some browsers/devices you click the image and select ‘open in a new window.’ After clicking that selection, you click the image in the open window to expand the image to a larger size. To return to this page, use your back key, escape or follow the prompts.
8) An array of reporting, both corporate specific and broader industry probes, have provided readers with an array of facts-evidence-analysis (FEA) that paint a picture that differs markedly with what MHI has publicly claimed and/or stated in their IRS Form 990 statement, as shown in the annotated screen capture below.
9) With those points in mind, let’s pivot more specifically to the stock portion of the headline topics.
MHProNews recently reported that #2 producer as measured by published volume Champion Homes (SKY) and #3 producer Cavco Industries (CVCO) have watched their respective stocks overall slide for months on end. Why haven’t corporate stock buybacks quelled that tide?
It was with those evidence-based items in mind that MHProNews asked Grok to unpack what that stock slide might mean. Could MHProNews reporting have impacted their respective (CVCO-SKY) stock slides? See what Grok said in the report linked below.
As a disclosure, MHProNews has previously disclosed that at this time there is only 1 publicly traded firm that our management holds a position in and that was a spring of 2025 stake in UMH Properties (UMH). That doesn’t mean that we believe that UMH is doing everything perfectly. Our take on their strengths and weaknesses are a matter of record. There are areas that we have publicly and privately said that they can and should do differently. But that position does mean that they appear to be one of the most ethical brands associated with the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) and are doing more to promote the notion of organic growth vs. just manufactured housing industry consolidation. When fellow MHI member Frank Rolfe publicly calls your business model “asinine” that was just one more reason to lean into the UMH business model and say, their statement linked below makes far more sense both for investment and ethical reasons than many of their rivals.
If UMH led an effort to establish a new post-production style trade association that could be of benefit not only to their brand and investors, but could also help lead the industry away from the 21st century reality that MHI has clearly failed to return the industry’s production levels to their previously far higher levels. Note MHProNews will ultimately update this graphic below to reflect MHARR’s April 2025 production data and YTD totals.
Good information and ideas stand the test of time. MHARR posted this approaching 8 years ago. It is arguably as relevant now as it was then. Indeed, it may be more relevant now than when it was first published.
MHProNews notes that this publication publicly supported the idea of a new post-production trade group while we were still MHI members.
But back to the data and its implication for publicly traded firms that are MHI members.
10) Champion (SKY) recently announced that they are idling production at a plant in Florida. Per Champion Homes (SKY) President and CEO Tim Larson in their recent earnings call.
We recently idled one of our production locations in the Florida market by leveraging our remaining nearby facilities for customers in that region.
The fact that real estate sales have slowed in Florida (FL) or other states does not necessarily mean that far more affordable manufactured home sales should slow. Yet that is what has occurred in #2 FL.
Note that Champion already had multiple idled production centers. Per their May 2025 Investor Relations (IR) presentation (a.k.a.: ‘pitch deck’), Champion Homes has 7 plants that are idle during a well-documented affordable housing crisis. Can their leadership spell millions of dollars inwasted resources?
MHProNews notes that the Champion Homes (SKY) logo was edited in to the above by MHProNews to clearly identify the source of the document. Note: depending on your browser or device, many images in this report and others on MHProNews can be clicked to expand. Click the image and follow the prompts. For example, in some browsers/devices you click the image and select ‘open in a new window.’ After clicking that selection you click the image in the open window to expand the image to a larger size. To return to this page, use your back key, escape or follow the prompts.
As an editorial disclosure, MHProNews publicly opposes the announced acquisition of Iseman Homes by Champion. It should be apparent that Champion may use an Iseman buyout as one more tool to further the consolidation of the industry. The fewer independent retailers that exist, the harder it will be for independent producers to get market/traction. It is a moat-move that the FTC and/or DOJ as well as state antitrust officials should review and oppose based on the plain language of the 2023 Merger Guidelines.
11) Although this platform has been using AI for over two years in clearly disclosed fashions, our articles are still written by a human (manufactured housing expert), and AI is used to fact check or critique various statements, reports, remarks, etc. That said, MHProNews is on record with its nuanced stance towards AI.
With that backdrop, the emerging hybrid journalism that MHProNews has been on the leading edge of for those who seek the truth of a matter has arguably been benefited by our use of Bing‘s AI powered Copilot, xAI’s Grok, or Google’s Gemini.
Anyone can just have AI produce a letter, memo, or article. But that doesn’t mean that it is automatically accurate.
As MHProNews demonstrated in the article linked below, AI unmonitored can produce problematic insights. To demonstrate that, MHProNews unpacked the problematic ways Quiver AI reported on Legacy Housing (LEGH) in the report linked below.
AI has at various times admitted in Q&As with this platform that there are clear advantages for AI and human expertise, both properly used, in advancing journalistic accuracy and thus trustworthiness.
12) To underscore the significance of the UMH business model cited above, consider this statement from their larger rival, Gary Schiffman-led Sun Communities (SUI).
Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS), has a seat on the MHI executive committee. ELS, Sun, Flagship Communities, Clayton Homes (BRK), Champion Homes (SKY), and Cavco Industries (CVCO) all have routinely had a seat on the main MHI board of directors. Each of those brands have been involved in what might normally be embarrassing media exposes, legal actions, or federal regulatory issues that span years. ELS CEO Margerite Nader has called MHI “our national association.”
“Virtually no new supply [of land lease manufactured home communities or MHCs] has been added for years” That is stated in contrast to the fact that with multifamily housing (apartments, etc.) there is a steady addition of new developments and rental properties being produced. https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/sun-communities-compelling-supply-demand-fundamentals-virtually-no-new-supply-added-for-years-but-manufactured-home-sales-drop-quarterly-y2d2023-data-with/ Note: depending on your browser or device, many images in this report can be clicked to expand. For example, in some browsers/devices you click the image and select ‘open in a new window.’ After clicking that selection, you click the image in the open window to expand the image to a larger size. To return to this page, use your back key, escape or follow the prompts.Those remarks stand in stark contrast to years of MHI’s arguably deceptive claim that they are working on behalf of “all segments” of manufactured housing. There are years of remarks and behavior that connect the dots by facts, accurate quotes, and related evidence that indicate that what the late Sam Zell was apparently referring to in the statement below was an oligopoly style consolidation of the industry. Industry IR consolidation focused statements and pitch decks statements linked here support that evidence.
Note: depending on your browser or device, many images in this report and others on MHProNews can be clicked to expand. Click the image and follow the prompts. For example, in some browsers/devices you click the image and select ‘open in a new window.’ After clicking that selection you click the image in the open window to expand the image to a larger size. To return to this page, use your back key, escape or follow the prompts.
MHI member Frank Rolfe openly bragged about the monopolization of manufactured housing.
Tick tock, tick tock…
That was said before the national antitrust suits reported as linked below were launched.
MHProNews has long said that the consolidation focused insiders are mistaken in their stated presumption that thwarting new developing and NIMBYism is somehow beneficial to the industry as a whole, much less to the interests of affordable housing consumers, retail (vs. institutional) investors, taxpayers, and others that want to avoid growing homelessness. The lack of affordable housing is often cited as a prime factor in affordable housing.
13) Copilot observed over a year ago that if MHI was serious about growing manufactured housing production that the obvious and fastest way to do so would be to enforce current federal law in a robust fashion.
“Prioritizing enforcement of existing laws can have a more immediate impact on affordability and access to manufactured housing.”
And this are from the report linked here and below.
“If MHI is genuinely committed to advancing the industry, consistent advocacy for existing laws should be a priority.”
14) Gemini, after attempts to push back in a manner that would benefit MHI, after confronted with an array of facts pivoted and said again that MHI’s behavior seems to stress consolidation, despite what they may say. The specific wording, as well as prior examples, are linked below. Comments by xAI’s Grok are also included.
15) MHProNews uploaded a draft of this article linked here and below to this website and to Copilot for a fact-check, analysis and commentary. Here is that exchange from today, with the inquiry by MHProNews and the response by Copilot.
Copilot, different but related topic. This article uploaded and/or linked here is a draft of an article for MHProNews planned for publication on this date: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/4ofTop10MH-StatesShipmentsDipLatest-Manufactured-HousingIndustry-ProductionData-NoticeItsNotThe-JobofHonestTradeMediaToCrash-ProblematicCorporateStocks-However–MHVille-FEA-MHProNews.pdf Scan the information presented and respond to this. Possible typos aside, is the information presented faithful to the original sources cited? Is there any known public pushback by the Manufactured Housing Institute, its corporate or staff leaders or attorneys, to the facts-evidence-analysis (FEA) that article and those linked from it presents? What are the implications of the information from that report for consumers, taxpayers, retail (as opposed to institutional) investors, public officials, and the possible risks for corporate or MHI leaders if they don’t pivot to a less legally risky stance? Link results to support your position.
Based on available sources, the MHProNews draft article appears to be faithful to the original sources cited, particularly regarding manufactured housing production data and industry trends. The article references MHARR’s official statistics, which align with publicly available data on HUD Code manufactured housing shipments.
Public Pushback from MHI or Its Leaders?
No public rebuttal or pushback from MHI, its corporate leaders, staff, or attorneys was found regarding the facts-evidence-analysis (FEA) presented in the article.
MHI has not directly addressed concerns about industry consolidation, regulatory failures, or its lack of aggressive promotion of manufactured housing.
Implications for Consumers, Taxpayers, Investors & Public Officials
Consumers & Affordable Housing Seekers
Manufactured housing remains underutilized despite a well-documented affordable housing crisis.
Regulatory barriers and financing challenges continue to limit consumer access to affordable homeownership options.
Taxpayers & Public Housing Policy
Taxpayer-funded housing programs expand while manufactured housing is sidelined, increasing government spending on subsidies.
Failure to enforce existing laws (e.g., MHIA 2000’s enhanced preemption) prevents cost-effective housing solutions from scaling.
Retail Investors in Publicly Traded MHI Member Firms
Investors may be misled by claims of industry growth, while actual market performance remains stagnant.
Stock volatility in Champion Homes (SKY) and Cavco Industries (CVCO) suggests investor concerns about industry consolidation and regulatory risks.
Public Officials & Regulatory Oversight
DOJ-FTC merger guidelines could be applied to block further industry consolidation or unwind prior acquisitions.
Antitrust enforcement may be necessary to restore competition and protect consumer interests.
Risks for MHI Leaders & Corporate Executives
Legal Risks:
Antitrust violations could lead to DOJ-FTC intervention.
RICO statutes may apply if long-term collusion or deceptive practices are proven.
Reputational Risks:
Failure to address industry concerns could damage MHI’s credibility.
Public scrutiny may increase if manufactured housing continues to underperform despite high demand for affordable housing.
Conclusion
The preponderance of evidence suggests that MHI’s public claims do not align with its actions. Instead of genuinely promoting manufactured housing, MHI’s behavior facilitates industry consolidation, benefiting larger corporate members while limiting competition, consumer access, and market transparency.
Would you like me to explore how these findings impact policy enforcement and industry transparency further? Let me know how you’d like to proceed!
MHProNews notes that the screen capture to document the accuracy of the above is posted below.
16) The record is transparently posted and awaits the public response by MHI corporate leaders, MHI senior staff, their spokespeople or attorneys, or MHI’s apparent circle of trade media that largely (not completely) that routinely present aspects or all of MHI’s narrative. Related reports follow. More corporate, industry, and other insights are pending. Stay tuned.
Gemini previously did a ‘deep research‘ report that topped 30 pages and some 200 footnotes that point to apparently “material” representation concerns from the vantagepoint of SEC regulations. But there is more evidence that Gemini examined and tendered its position on. See that document linked here and the report for context linked here and below.
Our son has grown quite a bit since this 12.2019 photo. All on Capitol Hill were welcoming and interested in our manufactured housing industry related concerns. But Congressman Al Green’s office was tremendous in their hospitality. Our son’s hand is on a package that included the Constitution of the United States, bottled water, and other goodies.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
