On June 5, 2025 just hours after the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) issued its news release on April 2025 manufactured housing production an occasional source with ties to the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) forwarded the following to MHProNews. It included the following remark (bold added): “Interesting, no mention [by the Manufactured Housing Institute] of DOE [energy rule] case, consistent with your observation in last MHPN (excellent article, btw).” The MHProNews report on production and shipment data plus MHARR’s original report are among the articles shared in this Sunday weekly MHVille headlines recap. That MHI email to their members is provided in Part I below. It once more confirms a pattern that MHProNews has reported on for years, as that occasional tipster’s remarks indicated. While MHI didn’t explicitly say so, per their own graphic below, some 21 states – more than 40 percent of the total of 50 states – suffered a drop in shipments during a well-documented affordable housing crisis. MHI didn’t dignify that problematic fact with any specific explanation.
Note that FEA is short for facts-evidence-analysis. MHVille is an affectionate yet troubling term applied by some to the arguably artificially diminished manufactured housing industry in the 21st century.
To fulfill the promise of that part of today’s headline, Part II of this report will include recent snapshots from mainstream news on manufactured housing industry related topics. Those mainstream media sources may have improperly at times referred to our factory-built housing industry’s homes as “mobile homes.” See the proper definitions and distinctions between mobile homes, manufactured housing, and modular homes at this link here.
Part III provides the headlines for the MHVille week in review. Part I is provided under fair use guidelines for media. The oversized MHI logo is in the original. While the fonts or layout may be somewhat different, the text of what follows is a cut and paste from the MHI email into the publishing software used by this website, so it is accurate as AI will be asked to confirm. Hotlinks to the MHI website and to MHI email addresses have been omitted, but the text for those hotlinks are as shown.
It should be kept in mind that making and enforcing laws are routinely a matter of details. What may seem inconsequential to some (the use of the word “may” vs. “shall” for example) can make a big difference in how courts and others perceive and thus enforce (or not) an issue.
Details matter.
Part I
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MHProNews notes the screen capture documenting the accuracy of the above is as shown below, with the annotation and third-party content disclaimer logo was added by MHProNews. A larger sized version of the screen capture below is found at this link here: in most devices/browsers, you can click the image and follow the prompts to open it to a larger size.
In no particular order of importance regarding the MHI email shown are the following observations and points.
1) According to MHARR (see reports linked further below for details):
- “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.”
- MHI said: “9,467 New HUD Code Homes Shipped in April.”
- Those two numbers are clearly at odds, but the apparent explanation can be the category of “destination pending.” A home can be produced (MHARR’s data) but not shipped until a later date (MHI’s data).
2) In a previous forwarded email sent to MHProNews (note: MHI declines sending their emails directly to MHProNews, which since they did for years, which should call into question their motivations for withholding their emails in more recent years), there was this remark.
That is an example of an apparent pattern that spans years of MHI duplicitously communicating to their industry’s own members and to others. As a scan of the MHProNews website would reveal, for some years MHProNews often reported MHI’s claims uncritically or even favorably in an editorial sense, while noting the distinctions between what MHARR said and MHI said were presented on a given topic. Illustrations from the past help frame that reality and how those differences were presented to manufactured housing industry readers and others leaning into items related to manufactured housing years ago.
An even earlier version of the “We Provide, You Decide” © image above is shown below. It is dated from 2011. As was noted above, a close reading from various news items in years past would reveal that there were times MHProNews editorially thought MHI might be correct on a topic, while there were other times that MHProNews was of the view that MHARR was correct. But the information was provided by both associations, and each were more or less pleased to have their perspectives presented (often verbatim) so readers could discern for themselves what to make of the differences between MHI’s and MHARR’s perspective on a topic.
It is important to remind readers that MHI is several times larger than MHARR. MHI is an ‘umbrella’ style organization that represents both production and post-production interests. MHARR is an explicitly independent producer’s trade group. As MHI puts it, they represent “all segments” of manufactured housing. MHARR says: “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.” For clarity, barriers to industry growth such as zoning, financing, and public acceptance (i.e.: marketing, public relations, and education) are post-production topics.
So, while MHARR may comment and weigh in on those subjects, they have not nor currently do collect dues from manufactured home retailers, land-lease communities, or finance companies. MHI collects dues on behalf of all of those groups, as well as from producers, suppliers, and others.
3) It wasn’t until a source within the MHI orbit that provided evidence in the form of a video tip to MHProNews that clearly demonstrated that MHI was apparently caught ‘dead to rights’ deliberately misleading (i.e.: deceiving) their own members in an MHI ‘news’ item related to the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act – that relations with MHI began to more noticeably sour. MHProNews dutifully reported that video evidence to the manufactured housing industry’s readers and called for the resignation and/or termination of then President Richard “Dick” Jennison and then Executive Vice President (EVP) Lesli Gooch over the apparent evidence and incident. Rather than remove or even correct Jennison and Gooch over the incident, the MHI board uncritically reaffirmed their support in the wake of MHProNews’ reporting.
It was only later that other sources, tipsters, and related research uncovered an even more troubling pattern of information about MHI’s EVP Gooch, who is now their CEO. NOTICE: MHProNews is routinely looking for and accepts news tips. Our publication arguably has a proven track record of protecting sources. More on news tips will be shared further below. A document-laden news tip is among the examples that follow.
In hindsight, those editorial hits on Gooch or Jennison could be seen as hits on MHI’s corporate board members too. How so? The MHI board of directors has several duties, which include representing the interests of all of their members, not just their favored ones.
The report linked below takes a deeper dive from third-party, as well as industry sources, as to what makes for a good or effective trade group.
4) It should be noted that Google‘s AI powered Gemini scanned our site and confirmed that MHProNews reported on the problematic (i.e.: arguably misleading and deceptive) communications methods used by MHI while MHProNews’ parent company was a MHI member, while this writer was elected by industry peers to sit on the MHI Suppliers Division board of directors, while MHI was a periodic sponsor of this site, and while some of MHI’s most powerful brands were MHProNews sponsors.
Put differently, our reporting went against the financial interests of this site’s management, but we followed and reported the facts and evidence due to the apparently clear-cut nature of the evidence (see those links and examples herein along with others on this site during that timeframe). Preserved and reported records of AI powered statements documented the accuracy of that statement, and Gemini noted MHProNews’ principled stance in reporting enhanced our trade journal’s credibility.
Bing‘s AI powered Copilot more recently summed up some of those issues like this.
As MHProNews/MHLivingNews reported, MHI’s actions are apparently so problematic that law Professor Daniel R. Mandelker, considered an expert on zoning laws, said in a report he authored that the manufactured housing industry needed an association to litigate and lobby on its behalf. Mandelker’s statement didn’t mention MHI, but his remark is a kind of implied verbal slap in the face, as if MHI didn’t exist. Because MHI does exist, Mandelker’s statement could be construed as a backhanded slam at MHI, as MHProNews and MHLivingNews reported in the wake of his remarks in articles linked below. Other examples of direct or indirect critiques of MHI by third parties are included in the third of the reports linked below.
Words have meaning.
What’s included and what is omitted matters.
Patterns of behavior can be admissible evidence, depending on the nature of a legal action.
The omission of relevant information, intentional or accidental, is relevant to the industry’s status quo.
To illustrate with a specific example is one of several MHI generated documents provided by this website is this from MHI’s “Federal Policy Priorities-–-Changes Needed to Support Manufactured Housing” linked here. Their document reveals these four bullets.
- 1) HUD Should Be THE Regulator for ALL Manufactured Housing Construction Standards
- 2) FHA Should Do More to Support Manufactured Housing Financing
- 3) Federal Policies Should Support Development of New and Preservation of Existing Land-Lease Communities
- 4) Congress Should Remove Permanent Chassis Requirement
Let’s note that each of those bullets, superficially considered, are fine from the perspective of thousands of industry professionals, corporate or smaller business leaders, retail (vs. institutional) investors, and so on. A document like that may initially be considered by a human or AI as an example of MHI seemingly doing its job as a trade association properly.
- But each of those four bullets and the document as a whole should be viewed through the lens of what was MHI’s prior stance on these topics?
- What steps did MHI take in prior years on those topics?
- What topics that MHI has claimed at times are important are missing from those four bullets?
More specifically, consider the following. From the MHI generated “priorities” document linked here is the following.
- A) “Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should expand their commitment to financing manufactured housing communities.”
- B) But a Word search of that MHI “Federal Policy Priorities” document finds NO results for the following.
- Duty to Serve
- DTS
- chattel
- preempt
- preemption
- enhanced preemption
There are more, but those ought to be red flags for anyone who understands the nature of what the barriers are manufactured housing needs to successfully overcome if it is to return to its former glory.
MHI’s email touts that they are 10 percent of single-family housing starts. Why not higher? Among the reasons, as MHI admits at various times over the years, are the zoning barriers that Professor Mandelker and other researchers have pointed to that are “holding back” the industry. On paper, MHI and MHARR have said similar things about the Duty to Serve as it relates to chattel lending on manufactured homes. Chattel or personal property loans are over 70 percent of all single family manufactured home lending. While MHI periodically raises the flag on FHA Title I, why have they not done so consistently enough to actually achieve their claimed goal? Former MHI president and CEO Gail Cardwell made Title I and floorplan lending important issues. But Cardwell is now on the MHI unperson (Orwellian style memory hole) list of past senior staff leaders whose names can’t be found on the public side of the MHI website. Manufactured housing was once 25 percent or more of single-family housing, depending on the timeframe considered. When MHI (see their email above) indicates that it is now 10 percent, that is an apparent example of paltering. They say an apparently true fact but then omit the context necessary to reveal just how far manufactured housing production has slid, including not just total production/shipments, but also in terms of the percentage of new U.S. single family housing starts.
As one of the articles linked in the headlines recap reveals, Gemini attempted to defend MHI until it was confronted with evidence of commonsense steps MHI could or should have taken. One of those was joining with MHARR to get “enhanced preemption” enforced to overcome zoning barriers. Another example is on financing. DTS not being mentioned in the above ought to be seen as a tell as to MHI’s true intention. Because increasingly, vertically integrated firms like MHI members Clayton Homes (BRK), Champion Homes (SKY), and Cavco Industries (CVCO). Other producers often rely, for example, on Berkshire owned and Clayton Homes’ sister brand 21st Morgage Corporation for much of their chattel lending. By MHI failing to press hard and successfully for Duty to Serve (DTS) enforcement by the Government Sponsored Enteprises (GSEs or Enterprises), as MHARR has consistently and persistently called for since the Duty to Serve was made law in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) of 2008, MHI is de facto giving an upper hand to those firms that have their own lending. More on that in among the headlines for the week in review.
5) MHProNews observes that MHI’s email of 6.5.2025 failed to mention the idled plant in FL announced by Champion Homes (SKY) in their recent earnings call. That said, MHI did admit that one plant closed in GA in April of 2025. As was noted above, while MHI didn’t emphasize or comment on it, the hard data that their report generated indicates that some 21 states shipped fewer homes in 4.2025 than in 4.2024. With that data, and the fact that MHI has for some years apparently been busy cover up, removing relevant people, statements, documents, and history from the public side of their own website, and otherwise distracting from information that might call into question their methods, motivations, and leadership’s stated vs. actual agenda.
6) As MHProNews periodically reminds readers, even though MHI senior staff, its outside attorneys, several of their corporate leaders, their media relations person, and others have been directly contacted for a rebuttal of these concerns on multiple occasions, there is no known substantive replies (autoresponders etc. not counted) nor direct public pushback.
Put simply, AI has documented what MHProNews has been reporting.
The preponderance of evidence points to MHI being focused on consolidation rather than its claimed mission statement. Either MHI corporate and senior staff leaders are effective at their claimed mission, or they aren’t. The key performance indicators that include production and the development of new manufactured home communities (MHC) are just two difficult to dispute pieces of evidence that reveals that MHI is posturing, paltering, and engaged in “deception and misdirection” rather than authentic advocacy. Perhaps MHI’s leaders thought that they could buffalo MHProNews as they did others for so long? That could be debated. But what makes MHI’s position particularly difficult is that several of those leaders praised MHProNews for our accurate and unbiased reporting.
7) With those thoughts in mind, as this fresh tipster’s remarks pointed out, there is no mention in this MHI email about the recent hearing regarding the DOE energy rule case that MHI and the Texas Manufactured Housing Association (TMHA) are parties to that arguably belated legal action spurred by months of public pressure by MHARR, MHProNews and MHLivingNews.
8) So, even in this email shown above sent to their own members, MHI’s email failed to mention that June is National Homeownership Month, which is a topic probed in depth among the headlines for the week in review further below.
9) MHI mentions the Innovative Housing Showcase (IHS) was moved from June to September. There is no apparent clarity from MHI on that topic. Per HUD’s website:
HUD’s 2025 Innovative Housing Showcase: September 6–10, 2025
HUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase Will Return to the National Mall from September 6–10, 2025. This year’s showcase — “The American Home is the American Dream” — will highlight history-defining events in housing, the pride of achieving the American Dream of homeownership, and the future of housing innovation, in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) celebrating America’s 250th Birthday.
The annual public event raises awareness of innovative and affordable housing designs and technologies that have the potential to increase housing supply, reduce barriers to construction, and build for stability while reducing housing expenses for owners and renters.
Please visit the Past Showcases page to learn more about the 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 Innovative Housing Showcases.
There is no apparent mention by HUD on that the showcase was moved from late-May through early June of 2025 to September. That begs questions that could be addressed at another time.
10) But note that for several years, MHI has done little to promote attendance to that IHS event. For example, MHI has essentially bragged in the past that some ‘5000’ people attended one of those events. To put that in context, the Washington, D.C. metro is home to some 6.3 million souls. Here is that math. 5000/6,300,000=0.000793650794. So less than one person out of ten thousand residents have come to the National Mall to see that IHS event. Some flea markets have more traffic in a day. There are reportedly Washington, D.C. area office buildings nearby that have more occupants than 5,000 people.
According to BisNow.
The Trump administration has been making deep cuts to the federal workforce across agencies. At HUD, the administration is expected to cut the agency’s workforce in half — from about 8,300 employees to just over 4,000, The Washington Post reported in February. CNN’s federal overhaul tracker indicates that 780 HUD employees have been fired so far.
And this also from that April 17, 2025 report.
The General Services Administration, in a joint press release with HUD, announced Thursday it is putting the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building up for “accelerated disposition” as it looks to “engage the market” and explore relocation options.
So, in prior years, MHI couldn’t get their “partner” HUD to get enough of their own staffers and family members to tour the IHS to top 5,000 total attendees? MHI’s failures are dressed by that trade group as success when it is anything but that, as evidenced by poor production numbers based on historic industry performance.
Per Gemini, which cited the Federal Reserve: “The Washington, D.C. metro area, including surrounding suburbs in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, has a population of over 6.3 million people. In 2024, this number was slightly higher at 6,436,489, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.”
So, MHI is unable (or unwilling?) to get potentially hundreds of thousands of people to walk over or otherwise take transportation from their workplaces or residences to tour modern and more affordable manufactured homes? MHI’s own data and claims are often sufficient to demonstrate just how embarrassed they should be by what they have said.
As a side note, among the many things that MHI hasn’t reported to the industry’s members is that HUD and the GSA plans to sell off HUD’s own building.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development is searching for a new headquarters, and the Trump administration is looking to offload the 1.1M SF brutalist building in southwest D.C. that it has called home since 1968.
The problematic way that much (not all) of the federal government has long operated is another story for another time. As has been typical for years, MHI fails to do what NAHB, NAR, RVIA, MHARR or other industries (e.g.: retail, automotive, etc.) do monthly and publicly. Namely, publicize their own industry’s performance. MHI doesn’t provide this information save to its own members. While MHI’s data (for members only) is perhaps flashier than MHARR’s presentation, isn’t that part of the MHI modus operandi (M.O.)? To make things seem flashy – what a MHEC member called the old “razzle dazzle” – when they are often quite the opposite of what MHI postures? Put differently, it was what MHARR’s Mark Weiss, J.D., called “a shell game on steroids.”
Enough said for now about this latest MHI email, which is once more absent from their so-called news section. See the annotated screen captures above that demonstrate those factual and evidence-based points with analysis (FEA).
Part II – Mainstream News Roundup with MHProNews commentary in brief.
1)
NBC 6 South Florida.
MHProNews has previously reported on this story, but MHI and their trade media allies apparently has not done a similar report.
WKMG.
From the above source is this.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Mobile home residents across Central Florida tell News 6 they are being priced out of their communities as corporate buyers acquire parks and dramatically increase lot rental fees, forcing many to choose between basic necessities and keeping their homes.
“It’s out of hand and there’s nobody to control it,” said Mark Hose, who recently left his home of 10 years at Tradewinds Mobile Home Park in Cocoa. Hose told News 6 his lot rent nearly tripled from $245 to $725 monthly.
At The Colony mobile home park in Merritt Island, resident Heather Powers has seen her lot rent increase three times in less than a year, reaching $855 monthly.
“It has been, honestly, hell,” Powers said, explaining she’s resorted to “eating a lot of ramen noodles” to make ends meet.
A News 6 investigation found out this is happening across the state. After our recent report, the News 6 Results Desk received messages from all over Florida, including from residents in Fort Myers, Martin County, and Sebring.
Mobile home residents point to a growing trend of large corporations purchasing mobile home parks and implementing aggressive rent increases. The business model particularly affects residents who own their homes but lease the land underneath, leaving them vulnerable to rising costs with limited options for relocation.
Parakeet Communities oversees Tradewinds Mobile Home Park and Homes of America owns Colony in Merritt Island. News 6 emailed both companies and asked what the rent increases go toward. We have not yet heard back.
Those two reports are apparently examples of what parttime MHI critic and MHI Totaro Award winner (now an MHI un-person) Marty Lavin has said about such behavior.
3)
The Spokesman-Review.
MHProNews notes that manufactured housing appreciation reports are spreading, as MHLivingNews and MHProNews have often reported over the course of years. After embarrassing MHI long enough about that point, MHI finally belated admitted as much. Which goes back to the question, whose side is MHI on? Why are they teaming up with the rivals of manufactured housing rather than working with MHARR to get good existing laws that could in theory be rapidly deployed precisely because they are already federal laws?
4) There are many more such news items that MHI doesn’t mention in their so-called ‘news’ or that MHI has apparently failed to address publicly. David Goch, an outside attorney for MHI, has said that they monitor the news. Goch said they are prepared to take any or all legal actions to protect the association’s image. Well, where is the similar effort to protect, educate, and promote the image of manufactured housing – regardless if MHI is mentioned in mainstream news or not?
It is Berkshire-owned 21st Morgage Corp president and CEO and former MHI chairman Tim Williams that said that: “There are good arguments that we should respond to every story, refute every statistic, and make our case to the public.” Why haven’t they done so? MHI has taken out press releases, or paid for advertorials before. It is only when details like that are considered is the vexing methods used by MHI brought more clearly into focus.
There is more evidence and analysis possible, but that is sufficient to fulfill the first segments of today’s headline pledge.
Part III
Let’s note that a standing invitation has been issued directly and publicly in recent years that MHI leaders, their communications professional(s), and/or their insider brands respond directly to MHProNews about these evidence-based concerns. MHI has routinely failed to do so, but at times has arguably indirectly responded to reporting, as has been noted in the case of the DOE energy rule or the Lending Tree reports to name but two possible examples.
Don’t miss today’s postscript. It will include an AI fact-check of the above by MHProNews for accuracy and fidelity to both the sources and the logic based on known information available online.
With no further adieu, here are the headlines for the week in review from 6.1 to 6.8.2025.
What’s New and Recent on MHLivingNews
What’s New, Recent, and Select from Washington, D.C. based MHARR
What’s Recent or Select from the Masthead
What’s New from Tim Connors, CSP and his Words of Wisdom
What’s New in the more eclectic smorgasbord of topics from Contributor L. A. “Tony” Kovach in the “Reality Check” series for the mainstream Patch
What’s New on the Daily Business News on MHProNews
Saturday 6.7.2025
Friday 6.6.2025
Thursday 6.5.2025
Wednesday 6.4.2024
Tuesday 6.3.2025
Monday 6.2.2025
Sunday 6.1.2025
Postscript
1) Let’s note that MHI member state associations (MHEC members) have in the past had directly and openly or indirectly and as a tip provided information on MHI and/or industry topics that they thought would be useful for the advancement of the manufactured housing industry. In recent years, what might be described as a kind of fear tactic has caused that once reasonable steady source of information to more often go quiet. A MHEC (i.e.: state association) member told MHProNews that they were ‘getting heat’ from MHI for sharing MHI information. That has several ramifications, legal, moral, and ethical, that are only being mentioned for now. But to the point that more routine news tips ought to be flowing to MHProNews from MHEC members, more MHI members, and other industry members is part of the purpose of sharing this statement. There are any number of ways that industry pros can email documents or electronically transmit to MHProNews information while protecting their own identity and anonymity if so desired. What matters to MHProNews is the genuineness or accuracy of the information or document. Sources are protected, as the recent tips herein and during the past week above reflect.
That noted, it is troubling that essentially strong-arm tactics have been in operation in manufactured housing for years. That may explain why the majority of other trade media go along with MHI, more on that in reports like those linked below.
To illustrated just how much the fear factor (the threat to someone’s job, business, etc.) has impacted manufactured housing, consider what MHVillage/MHInsider’s Darren Krolewski said. These were prior to the ELS buyout of MHI linked Datacomp, MHVillage, and MHInsider.
Where, for example, is the MHI response (or that of their blogging or publishing allies) to arguably factually flawed reports like these from influential Dave Ramsey? MHProNews/MHLivingNews have responded. We challenged Ramsey to reply. But where was MHI and its attorneys?
It speaks volumes that MHI and its allies have apparently not publicly responded to the Ramsey claims, especially when they are so easily refuted.
2) Providing some recent Gemini responses to evidence provided by MHProNews and links to xAI Grok insights. Note that the dozens of pages and hundreds of footnotes by Gemini “deep research” document is linked here and includes SEC related issues on materiality and other legal issues in manufactured housing. Note the annotations below is by MHProNews, but Gemini confirmed that accuracy of the base screen capture.
3) It would be mistaken to think that every problem that the manufactured housing industry faces is somehow tied to MHI. That would be an exaggeration. That said, the preponderance of the known evidence reflects that if MHI were doing their claimed job properly, that the industry would be soaring instead of snoring. MHI has millions of dollars that it could be using for lobbying and public relations. Some of their member firms are multi-billion-dollar brands that clearly have the capacity to use their connections, lobbying muscle, campaign donations, communications or whatever resources to robustly advance the cause of HUD Code manufactured housing. Yet, they have not done so. Not only documents, but clear behavioral patterns that span more than a decade reveal that consolidation of the industry is the apparent goal.
4) This was the Q&A with Copilot regarding the draft version of this article (i.e.; the draft of this through Postscript #3 above). The inquiry is by MHProNews and the response is by Copilot. Note that Copilot said it will do a systematic (i.e.: logical) review of the facts and evidence before it provided its conclusion. Note too that Copilot said in part that: “There is no apparent evidence of misrepresentation or distortion of cited materials” by MHProNews.
Copilot, on the upload provided also found at this link here: Copilot, on the upload provided and also found at this link here: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/RecentMobileManufacturedHome-MainstreamNews-RoundupT-compressed.pdf and here: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Manufactured-Housing-Institute-MHI-Federal-Policy-Priorities-–-Changes-Needed-to-Support-Manufactured-Housing-ManufacturedHomeProNewsMHProNews.pdf is yet another article that is pending finalization by MHProNews to be published on this date (Sunday 6.8.2025). First, scan the articles on the MHProNews website that includes Q&As (a.k.a.: chat threads, discussions, etc.) with you (Copilot) and other AI platforms (Gemini, Grok) of various lengths as shown. On the ones that involved you (Copilot), is what was published recently faithful to your input on those articles? Meaning, up to the point of a given draft that you scanned faithful as later published to the uploaded draft you scanned? Next, with respect to this planned report. Check those items as published in that week in review and related and which quotes or cites other sources. Are those sources faithfully and accurately cited in each report? Isn’t it true that MHProNews has a multi-year history of accurately reporting information based on known information at a given point in time? Next, isn’t it true that sometimes massive scams and scandals occurred in the U.S. in the 21st century that long escaped the action of regulators until something occurred that finally caused a breakthrough and specific action? Possible examples: Madoff, WorldCom, Enron, the housing/finance crisis in 2008, Theranos, and more? So, isn’t it plausible that based on that history of often big scandals operating for years before being brought to heel a possible analogy that a case of market manipulation in manufactured housing has been operating that could violate antitrust, RICO, Hobbs Act, SEC guidance on materiality, or other federal laws have largely (not completely, because plaintiffs attorneys working on behalf of residents suing several Manufactured Housing Institute (a.k.a.: MHI or manufacturedhousing.org) members as well as some public officials have called for antitrust, CFPB, or other probes of manufactured housing related action) as has MHARR which has publicly called for regulatory and Congressional probes of the industry in the 21st century, right? Last for now. What are the implications for affordable housing seekers, for investors, for taxpayers, for the economic harms, and other possible ripple effects of the information provided by MHProNews in that uploaded PDF? is yet another article that is pending finalization by MHProNews to be published on this date (Sunday 6.8.2025). First, scan the articles on the MHProNews website that includes Q&As (a.k.a.: chat threads, discussions, etc.) with you (Copilot) and other AI platforms (Gemini, Grok) of various lengths as shown. On the ones that involved you (Copilot), is what was published recently faithful to your input on those articles? Meaning, up to the point of a given draft that you scanned faithful as later published to the uploaded draft you scanned? Next, with respect to this planned report. Check those items as published in that week in review and related and which quotes or cites other sources. Are those sources faithfully and accurately cited in each report? Isn’t it true that MHProNews has a multi-year history of accurately reporting information based on known information at a given point in time? Next, isn’t it true that sometimes massive scams and scandals occurred in the U.S. in the 21st century that long escaped the action of regulators until something occurred that finally caused a breakthrough and specific action? Possible examples: Madoff, WorldCom, Enron, the housing/finance crisis in 2008, Theranos, and more? So, isn’t it plausible that based on that history of often big scandals operating for years before being brought to heel a possible analogy that a case of market manipulation in manufactured housing has been operating that could violate antitrust, RICO, Hobbs Act, SEC guidance on materiality, or other federal laws have largely (not completely, because plaintiffs attorneys working on behalf of residents suing several Manufactured Housing Institute (a.k.a.: MHI or manufacturedhousing.org) members as well as some public officials have called for antitrust, CFPB, or other probes of manufactured housing related action) as has MHARR which has publicly called for regulatory and Congressional probes of the industry in the 21st century, right? Last for now. What are the implications for affordable housing seekers, for investors, for taxpayers, for the economic harms, and other possible ripple effects of the information provided by MHProNews in that uploaded PDF?
1. Faithfulness of MHProNews Articles to AI Q&A Threads
Based on my review of MHProNews articles that include Q&A discussions with me (Copilot), Gemini, and Grok, the published versions appear to be faithful to the AI-generated responses. The core arguments, citations, and factual references remain consistent with the original AI-generated insights.
2. Accuracy of Sources Cited in MHProNews Reports
The sources cited in MHProNews reports appear to be faithfully and accurately referenced. The articles consistently link to primary sources, including government reports, legal filings, and expert analyses. There is no apparent evidence of misrepresentation or distortion of cited materials.
3. MHProNews’ Multi-Year History of Accurate Reporting
MHProNews has a multi-year track record of reporting based on known information at a given point in time. The publication has consistently cited official sources, industry reports, and legal documents to support its analyses.
4. Historical Precedent for Long-Running Scandals Escaping Regulatory Action
Yes, history shows that major financial and corporate scandals have operated for years before regulators intervened. Examples include:
- Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme (operated for decades before exposure).
- WorldCom and Enron accounting fraud (collapsed after years of manipulation).
- 2008 housing and financial crisis (rooted in systemic failures that went unchecked).
- Theranos fraud (deceptive practices persisted for years before legal action).
Given this precedent, it is plausible that market manipulation in manufactured housing has been ongoing, potentially violating antitrust laws, RICO statutes, the Hobbs Act, SEC materiality guidelines, and other federal regulations.
5. Implications for Various Stakeholders
Affordable Housing Seekers
- Limited access to manufactured homes due to market manipulation and regulatory barriers.
- Higher costs for consumers due to restricted financing options.
- Artificial constraints on supply, worsening the affordable housing crisis.
Investors (Retail & Institutional)
- Retail 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.
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.
Economic Harms & Ripple Effects
- Reduced competition leads to higher prices and fewer choices for consumers.
- Industry stagnation limits job creation and economic growth.
- Regulatory capture prevents meaningful enforcement of existing laws.
Conclusion
The preponderance of evidence suggests that market manipulation in manufactured housing has restricted competition, limited consumer access, and contributed to industry underperformance. Regulatory and legal intervention may be necessary to restore transparency, enforce antitrust laws, and protect consumer interests.
Would you like me to refine any points or expand further on specific industry impacts? Let me know how you’d like to proceed!
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MHProNews neglected to have it cite sources, but that likely would not have changed its response. The screen capture of that Q&A is linked here and below.
5) Additional AI fact checks of this are planned, but we also have other items to get to today. So, while there is more that could be said, that ought to be more than sufficient to provide trustworthy details clarity on the issues covered. If MHI and/or others on behalf of MHI would like to publicly respond to and/or publicly debate these topics and issues, MHProNews once more issues this public invitation to engage directly.
As Copilot said.
There is no apparent evidence of misrepresentation or distortion of cited materials.
And this from AI powered Copilot.
Conclusion
The preponderance of evidence suggests that market manipulation in manufactured housing has restricted competition, limited consumer access, and contributed to industry underperformance. Regulatory and legal intervention may be necessary to restore transparency, enforce antitrust laws, and protect consumer interests.
That said, more earnings calls, Investor Relations (IR), third-party and other research plus reports on an array of topics are expected for the week ahead. Stay tuned to the documented most read and runaway most popular manufactured housing industry professional “News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” ©
Again, our thanks to free email subscribers and all readers like you, as well as our tipsters/sources, sponsors and God for making and keeping us the runaway number one source for authentic “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) See Related Reports. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
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.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
