According to the HUD website: “HUD’s 2025 Innovative Housing Showcase: September 6–10, 2025.” The entire HUD press release will be provided in Part I of this report, while Part II of this MHVille facts-evidence-analysis (FEA) will share the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) post promoting this event. But the job of authentic journalism isn’t to merely regurgitate what others have said, as important as that can be. Rather, in the case of HUD Code manufactured housing, it should be to spotlight the tough topics that others may wish to downplay or ignore. Manufactured housing is operating at less than 30 percent of its last highwater mark achieved in 1998, despite sizable population growth, the need for millions of more affordable housing units, and the enactment of two landmark federal laws meant to bolster industry production without the need for housing subsidies. Those two federal laws, as both the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) and the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) have said at various times over the past 2 decades, have been improperly enforced. The ability of HUD to preempt local zoning that bars manufactured housing, or the ability of the FHFA to compel the Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs or Enterprises) of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to provided “Duty to Serve” chattel lending support may be analogous the U.S. Mexican border prior to Trump Administration 2.0. Under President Donald J. Trump’s (R) leadership, existing laws and tariffs have been used to get the Mexican and other governments, alongside U.S. resources, to reportedly effectively seal the border which the prior Biden-Harris (D) regime had obviously failed to similarly do. But the pressing question in manufactured housing will Trump 2.0 (a.k.a.: T2) enforce existing laws favorable to affordable housing creation using HUD Code manufactured housing? Will T2 official use existing federal laws to potentially create an economic and affordable housing boom unlike anything that the 21st century has ever seen before? Or will IHS 2025 be just one more set of “photo and video ops” (i.e.: opportunities) style distraction and missed opportunity? Put differently, will HUD and MHI prove its critics wrong? Or will this article serve to prove in advance of an event what that event could look like?
To paraphrase Chris Olvera, the editor of the now defunct Manufactured Home Merchandiser Magazine, ‘That is what we are here to find out.’
In this report with analysis the HUD and MHI website statements will be revealed. Past examples from IHS will be considered. An email outreach to MHI’s leadership, board/corporate, to CEO Lesli Gooch, to MHI attorneys, and to Molly Boyle, their designated spokesperson will be provided.
A fax as well as an email to MHI’s office will be provided too.
What will those emailed, and fax messages reflect? A direct and public challenge for MHI leaders to prove their critics wrong. This will be a unique opportunity to reverse the years of ‘Heads They Win, Tails Everyone Else Loses’ pattern of posturing without substantive performance that yields the steady industry consolidation that several of their own member’s public statements have reflected. There is a body of evidence years in the making that three different third-party artificial intelligence platform – Gemini, Grok, and Copilot – have all failed to find ANY evidence of ANY public pushback by MHI against their evidence-based critics.
This time, it will be predictive behavior that is examined in this report. While it would be wonderful if MHI’s board/corporate leadership and senior staff would prove its pro-organic growth manufactured housing industry critics wrong, if history is any predictor of behavior, there will be nothing substantively different this time than prior Innovative Housing Showcase (IHS) events under either Democratic or Republican presidents.
Meaning the following. There will be some nice speeches by public officials. There will be some video recorded remarks. There may be words of encouragement to get local public officials to stop discriminating against HUD Code manufactured homes, although the language may be more politically correct than that more blunt statement. But the apparent ‘regulatory capture’ of HUD by the National Association of Home Builders and ironically by the 21st century leadership of MHI working against the industry’s growth interests may prove once more to make all those platitudes and posturing just window dressing and lip service. We may be witnessing pre-history, if the past is prologue, then nothing substantive will change, despite superlatives of praises for the appealing manufactured homes that will briefly be on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and then days later will “poof!” Magically be forgotten.
Even if ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, or other major news outlets all showed up with video cameras, and all did national features that praised manufactured housing’s decades of proven performance and thus its future potential, will any of those organization’s put a microphone in front of HUD Secretary E. Scott Turner and ask the truly hard questions? For example.
Secretary Turner, will you announce that the Trump Administration is going to begin to routinely enforce the “enhanced preemption” provision of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000?
If Bill Pulte Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is present, will any national reporter put a microphone in front of him and ask the following?
Director Pulte, will you announce that the Trump Administration is going to break with precedents of Biden-Harris (D), Obama-Biden, or prior Trump Administration by compelling the GSEs to provide “Duty to Serve” chattel lending support to all HUD Code manufactured homes?
Or will Pulte or Turner make such statements on their own?
Time will tell.
It would be wonderful for millions seeking affordable housing opportunities if they would do so.
But if regulatory capture is a real thing, and if past is prologue, do not hold your breath. That said, if they do so, few if any will publicly cheer such announcements more or louder than MHProNews and MHLivingNews. Time will tell if this article is prescient (or prophetic), or if MHI and federal officials will reveal themselves to be what they have been for much of the past 2 decades? Either way, smaller businesses, retail investors, and potentially millions of affordable housing seekers would be the winners. MHProNews can editorially accept the hanky and wipe some proverbial egg off the face IF public officials and MHI pivot from years of examples that reflect the opposite.
- Keep in mind this historical fact. That the MHI has failed for years to use June as National Home Ownership month to properly promote the manufactured housing industry, while the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) do that annually.
- Keep in mind this difficult to dispute historical fact. That MHI for years has failed to use the power of video to capture an FHFA official or a HUD Secretary appointed by either major party (Democrat or Republican) on camera saying more than platitudes about how wonderful modern mainstream manufactured homes are.
- Keep in mind that MHI has been promoting a branded product, CrossMod ® homes, despite the fact that they are perhaps the most-costly manufactured home and despite the fact that they have themselves admitted in writing that developers are ‘moving away’ from CrossMod ® homes.
Possible Developing News?
After months of periodically pounding on concerns that a lack of published statements point to a very low acceptance of so-called CrossMod homes, there is a claim that the FHFA has recently said that some 8000 such loans have been made since 2020 under the Fannie Mae (MH Advantage) and Freddie Mac (CHOICEHome) programs. If so, that would be a significantly higher number than prior evidence suggested.
But even if it is true that over 8000 such loans have been originated, compare those totals to the annual production of HUD Code manufactured homes since the new class of manufactured housing was announced in 2016. From all of 2016 through July of 2025, using official annual data compiled by MHARR, some 829,474 new manufactured homes have been built in those years. That would suggest that less than 1 percent of all manufactured homes sold since 2016 have been financed with MH Advantage (Fannie Mae) or CHOICEHome (Freddie Mac) loans. It is still tokenism. It would still fail to be the often touted breakthrough that MHI, Kevin Clayton, and others have been claiming for years.
More on those financing and CrossMod points in Part III.
Part IV of this report will provide additional information including flashbacks from past IHS events, crosschecks and insights using 3rd party artificial intelligence systems. Also, in Part IV will be the email and fax sent to MHI board, senior officials, and Molly Boyle.
This MHVille FEA is well underway.
Part I – HUD Press Release on Innovative Housing Showcase (IHS) 2025
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.
Notable events:
- Saturday, September 6, 2025, 10 AM: Showcase Kickoff with remarks from HUD Deputy Secretary Hughes
- Saturday, September 6, 2025, 6-8 PM: “Foundation of Faith: Prayer, Action, and Hope in Times of Disaster,” with remarks from Faith Leaders and a special musical performance by Sean Feucht
- Sunday, September 7, 2025: Community Day
- Monday, September 8, 2025: HUD Secretary Turner Tours the Showcase and Media Row
- Tuesday, September 9, 2025: Industry Educational Panels
- Wednesday, September 10, 2025: Media Row
Members of the press should register to attend the Innovative Housing Showcase by using this link:
Please visit the Past Showcases page to learn more about the 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 Innovative Housing Showcases.
For further information, please contact housingshowcase@hud.gov.
Part II – According to the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) website provided under fair use guidelines for media
1)
Part III
1) MHI itself admitted the following.
More than 5,000 people, including policymakers, housing industry representatives, media, and the public, are expected to attend.
2) According to left-leaning Wikipedia:
National Mall
The park receives approximately 24 million visitors each year
3) According to Google’s AI powered preview.
While an exact figure is not available, it is estimated that over two million people live within a 30-minute drive of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., considering the populations of the District of Columbia and the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs. This is based on the population of D.C. itself, which is over 700,000, and the significant commuter population that comes from outside the city, with large percentages commuting from nearby Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs.
So, if 5000 people attend, and there were 2 million people within a thirty-minute drive, that means MHI expects to get 0.0025 of the local population. Yet they admit that some industry professionals and others (presumably some of whom are from out of town) will be coming. This is the opposite of sound promotion. MHI are setting an expectation for a tiny turnout.
4) To be clear, these IHS events do have potential value. They do produce potentially useful information and statements. But that begs the question:
- why isn’t MHI taking that potential and turning it into reality?
- Why bother with the posturing, unless the posturing is their point?
Per MHI member Terry Decio, then with Skyline Homes (now part of Champion Homes (SKY).

5) A sampling of prior MHProNews reports on this IHS topic.

Sexting, Alice, Zhivago, Network, Culture, Mother’s Day, and Celebrating Manufactured Housing
Sexting, Alice, Zhivago, Network, Culture, Mother’s Day, and Celebrating Manufactured Housing
Positive Congressional Reactions – Innovative Housing Showcase, HUD, MHEC, MHI, and Other Insights

Joe Stegmayer, Cavco Industries, MHI Chairman, Insights from Innovative Housing Showcase
6) Sampling of prior MHLivingNews articles that include video on IHS, the second article being Dr. Carson’s fine speech on HUD Code manufactured homes.


7) Per YouTube videos as shown Note this first one calls this event out. Notice that all three of these videos have low viewership too.
More than 2,500 people, including policymakers, housing industry representatives, media, and the general public, are expected to attend. But will it make a difference? Or is it just a photo op for the politicians and VIP’s who are dealing with breathing conditions and watery eyes as the smoke from the Canadian wildfires filled the air on day one of the event?
a)
209 views Streamed live on Jun 14, 2023 WASHINGTON
b) Per a HUD video from the first IHS.
c) Per an NAHB video from IHS 2023
d)
8) MHProNews notes that MHARR has said that HUD has a ‘duty’ to promote manufactured housing. From a MHARR press release.
‘HUD’s Role in Manufactured Housing Not Just Structural, Also for Facilitating More Manufactured Homes’
According to Mark Weiss, J.D., President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Washington, D.C. based MHARR, HUD’s role in manufactured housing is broader than many may imagine it to be. “Look,” said Weiss, “HUD Code manufactured housing is regulated by HUD itself. And HUD’s authority over – and responsibility for – the manufactured housing industry is quite broad.”
“That’s why HUD’s regulations under the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 did – and still do – refer to HUD’s “superintendence” of the industry. That language was not an accident. It refers to HUD’s statutory obligation to advance the availability and accessibility of affordable HUD Code manufactured housing for all Americans as a necessary and essential affordable housing resource. And, just in case there was any doubt, when Congress updated the law in 2000, it explicitly emphasized that HUD’s mission with respect to manufactured housing involves more than mere “structural” regulation. Thus, in the “Purposes” section of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000, Congress stated that one of the key purposes of the law (and hence, of HUD’s regulation of manufactured housing), was “to facilitate the availability of affordable manufactured homes and to increase homeownership for all Americans.” …
Again, the word “facilitate” was not an accident. It was chosen to reflect an affirmative statutory obligation, on the part of HUD, to use all of the powers and authorities available to it, to advance the availability and utilization of HUD Code manufactured homes across all areas of the United States, among all groups and populations, and among all income levels.”
…
Weiss told MHProNews the following. “Congress extended the scope of federal preemption not just to state and local building standards, but to all state or local “requirements” affecting manufactured housing. Indeed, key sponsors and proponents of the 2000 law, made the connection between HUD’s expanded role and authority, and made that connection unmistakably clear in a 2003 letter to HUD, where they wrote, “the 2000 Act expressly provides, for the first time,” that federal preemption “be ‘broadly and liberally construed’ to ensure that local ‘requirements’ do not affect ‘federal superintendence of the manufactured housing industry.’” “These combined changes have given HUD the legal authority to preempt local requirements or restrictions which discriminate against the siting of manufactured homes….”
One of MHARR’s key issues as a production-focused national trade organization is to get the MHIA’s so-called “enhanced preemption” of manufactured housing properly implemented and fully enforced. MHARR’s leaders believe the fastest and most cost-effective way to solve the affordable housing crisis could be for HUD to fully implement “enhanced federal preemption” of HUD Code manufactured homes.
MHARR’s full remarks on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule under the Biden-Harris (D) regime are found below.

8) But to further frame the picture, the Biden-Harris (D) regime denied not only MHARR’s call to action, they also apparently ignored the call to action on AFFH by the Black, Hispanic and Asian Caucuses too.

9) HUD’s own researchers have spelled it out more than once. For 50 years, Democrats and Republicans have been talking about affordable housing, they know the root causes of the problems are often linked to limited access to financing for affordable manufactured homes and to zoning/regulatory barriers in general.


10) As low as those totals were on those HUD, NAHB, and independent videos that covered some past Innovative Housing Showcase (IHS) events, MHI’s video views tally is embarrassingly even lower than those are. None of them broke 100 views total. One of them is for 19 views. The one where a congresswoman is “wowed” has only had 22 views. Videos featuring HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge is for 34 and 20 views of those videos on this date.

By contrast, some tiny house videos have had millions of views.
But perhaps the obvious point, once more, is this. MHI is posturing an effort. They may have spent thousands per video. Why not spend the money to promote the videos once they are produced? Where is the follow through? Which brings someone back to the logical and obvious conclusion.
Posturing effort arguably is MHI’s point.
11) Where was their effort over the years for National Home Ownership month?


12) Following that and other past critiques by MHProNews, in 2024, here is what MHI offered to the public. 5 words: “during Homeownership Month in June.” But as the IHS views above revealed, almost no one has seen those videos. MHI claims to have 1000 members. If even one person from every MHI member firm had watch each MHI videos it would total 1000 views, right? But not even that paltry outcome was achieved.


13) If this is MHI’s idea of promotion, is it any wonder that production is hovering under 100,000 homes annually for the last 6 years?
- From 2018-2024, the total production for the industry was 593,383 HUD Code manufactured homes. That is an average of 98,897 per year for the past 6 years.
- Since 2002, when Berkshire Hathaway invested in bankrupt Oakwood Homes, the industry produced 2,037,280 total homes. That is only 88,577.3913043 average per year.
- In stark contrast, the industry nationally produced 2,226,665 from 1995 to 2001.
Year | Production |
1995 | 344,930 |
1996 | 363,345 |
1997 | 353,686 |
1998 | 373,143 |
1999 | 348,075 |
2000 | 250,366 |
2001 | 193,120 |
2,226,665 |
14) Is it any wonder that notorious MHI member Frank Rolfe said that he blames MHI?

15) Or is it any wonder that Rolfe said that there is no serious desire to solve the affordable housing crisis in the U.S.? Too many special interests like the status quo, he said. Do we need another 50 years of HUD research to prove the point that Rolfe has also made?

16) Do we need another quarter century before the obvious reality becomes clear? Namely, that since the so-called Berkshire Hathaway era of manufactured housing, the industry has never had a longer, lower production streak since dating back to the earliest days of the mobile home industry when the nation’s population was much smaller.

17) With those and other concerns in mind, here is the email sent to MHI’s leaders this morning. A fax was sent to MHI, Cavco, and Equity LifeStyle Properties (ELS), see that documented at this link here, here and here. For strategic and tactical reasons, there were BCCs in the email, which is disclosed in the message that follows. Note the message to Leo bounced. Among the BCCs was a resident leader, who sent a simple reply: .
from: | L. A. Tony Kovach (MHProNews/MHLivingNews | ||
to: | “to: bill.boor@cavco.com” <bill.boor@cavco.com>, Patrick Waite <patrick_waite@equitylifestyle.com>, Leo Poggione <leo@forahouse.com>, Jim Ayotte <jayotte@fmha.org>, Ron_Bunce@equitylifestyle.com, Knute Chauncey <knute@tiedown.com>, frdaily@hstr.com, “John.Loucks@assurant.com” <john.loucks@assurant.com>, Lesli Gooch <lgooch@mfghome.org>, Mark Bowersox <mbowersox@mfghome.org> |
date: | Sep 5, 2025, 11:03 AM | ||
subject: | Media request to Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) leadership – request for comments or reactions |
Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) Leadership,
The Innovative Housing Showcase 2025 (IHS) is about to start (Sept 6-10, 2025). What if anything will be different in this event from prior ones with respect to asking federal officials publicly, on the record, with video cameras rolling to get on the record statements to see if existing federal laws that MHI claims it wants to be fully, consistently, and properly enforced?
- Will FHFA officials be asked to enforce the Duty to Serve (DTS) on all HUD Code manufactured homes, and not just CrossMod ® homes?
- Will HUD Secretary Scott Turner and other HUD officials be asked to enforce the “enhanced preemption” provision of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 (a.k.a.: MHIA, MHIA 2000, 2000 Reform Act, 2000 Reform Law)?
- Will members of Congress that attend be asked publicly and on the record to support oversight efforts to get those federal laws enforced?
- Will MHI do a better job this year before and during the IHS event to get national media coverage of this event? Or to promote the event once it is over?
- Or is this IHS just another photo and video op that aims primarily to give MHI a talking point instead of a result that produces robust authentic growth for the industry?
- Why is it that MHI leaders have for years ducked responding to inquiries like this with the largest and most read trade media serving the manufactured home industry?
Some of you are members of publicly traded companies. All of you have a fiduciary duty to the entire industry that you claim to represent.
Your response to this complaint is also requested.
There seems to be a multi-year pattern of posturing and photo ops and pleasant sounding talking points while the industry has operated at less than 89K HUD Code manufactured housing units per year from 2002 through 2024 vs. 318K manufactured homes produced from 1995 to 2001.
Meanwhile, consolidation continues, as several of your firm’s own published statements indicate is an important part of various firm’s business models.
Frank Rolfe, whose operations with Dave Reynolds are reportedly members of the Manufactured Housing Institute, has said that he blames MHI for low production.
Three different AI systems (Google’s Gemini, xAI’s Grok, MS Bing’s Copilot) have said that they can’t find evidence online of MHI responding to such published criticisms and concerns that seem to point to what Samuel Strommen while at Knudson Law said were evidence of apparent antitrust violations.
Several MHI member firms have been sued on behalf of residents alleging collusion that involves MHI members, including MHI board members.
Law professor Daniel Mandelker has said that manufactured housing needs a trade group that advocates and litigates on behalf of the industry. Isn’t that supposed to be what MHI does?
MHARR has identified several apparent issues with the ROAD to Housing Act 2025. Why is MHI pushing legislation that may serve to undermine federal preemption?
Why has MHI taken no apparent action against firms that seem to violate your so-called code of ethical conduct?
Why do MHI leaders seem to embrace and give awards to firms that have in some cases hundreds of Better Business Bureau complaints and/or F ratings with the BBB?
Why have bonuses been paid to MHI senior staff that have failed to achieve the video recorded goal stated by Richard “Dick” Jennison of 500,000 new manufactured homes annually?
Why have the names of so many past MHI leaders, documents, history, and data been removed from the MHI website?
While responses to any articles, those that follow or any other previously published ones by MHProNews/MHLivingNews are welcomed, this message is specifically requesting a response to the topics and items above.
Note that among those in the BCC, beyond MHI leaders are media, nonprofit, resident advocates, attorneys, other board members, plus other interested parties. We plan to publish this inquiry, to bring attention to these and other issues, and any response.
Most of you know the drill. You can reply directly to me via email. There are no word limits. Your response should be considered on the record.
Thank you.
L. A. “Tony” Kovach
— Again, the PDF of the above was faxed (confirmation sent and confirmation successful) and emailed by MHProNews. —
New readers are reminded that MHProNews has documented that earlier in the publishing history of MHProNews, MHI leaders would routinely and promptly reply. But as tips and articles revealed apparently problematic behavior by MHI leaders, MHI leaders initially cooled and then arguably turned hostile.

Part IV – Third-Party MHVille Fact-Evidence-Analysis (FEA) Checks plus more MHProNews expert commentary as shown\
The following are in no particular order of importance but should provide a logical progression. Starting with left-leaning Google’s left-leaning artificial intelligence (AI) powered Gemini. Note that the PDF of the input inquiry (question, chat thread, discussion, etc.) has been confirmed as accurate by Gemini here. That said, to save some text, in the first reply by Gemini the inquiry Gemini responded to is found here. It included a PDF of the draft of this article from the headline through Part III, found at this link here.
1)
Analysis
Query successful
Based on the provided draft and external research, here is a fact-evidence-analysis (FEA) check of the key points.
1. Verification of Claims and Evidence
The draft report appears to be a case study of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) and its behavior, with a focus on the Innovative Housing Showcase (IHS). It raises questions about MHI’s promotion of the industry and whether it is sufficient to reverse the industry’s long-term production decline. The evidence presented in the draft and supported by my searches is as follows.
- National Home Ownership Month: My search for MHI’s promotion of this event found no specific press releases, toolkits, or resources dedicated to “National Home Ownership Month” in June. In contrast, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) have extensively promoted the event with dedicated toolkits, social media resources, and press releases. This supports the draft’s implication that MHI’s promotion efforts are not on par with those of other major housing trade groups.
- Innovative Housing Showcase (IHS): My search confirmed that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and participating companies like UMH Properties have issued press releases about the IHS. However, a broad search of major national broadcast and cable news networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, Fox) for coverage of the event yielded no evidence of reporters and camera crews present to ask “tough questions” of the HUD Secretary, FHFA director, or MHI leaders. My search did find a press release from HUD User, a HUD-affiliated research organization, and a news article from a specialized housing publication, but not from national broadcast or cable news outlets.
- Enforcement of Federal Laws: The draft raises the issue of MHI’s stance on the enforcement of laws like the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 and Duty to Serve (DTS). My search found an article on a local news platform that cites a complaint filed with the IRS, alleging that MHI has failed to effectively advocate for the enforcement of these laws, and instead serves the interests of a few consolidating corporate members. This appears to be the type of evidence the draft is referring to.
- Production Data: The draft references production data from the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) that indicates the industry’s production is operating at less than 30 percent of its 1998 highwater mark. My search for MHARR production data for July 2025 confirmed that the organization reports on industry production statistics compiled on behalf of HUD, with a specific focus on monthly and year-over-year changes.
2. Coherence of Evidence and Analysis
The evidence presented is coherent and raises relevant examples that point to the industry’s underperformance in the 21st century. The comparison between MHI’s promotional efforts and those of NAHB and NAR, as well as the lack of national media coverage of the IHS, supports the draft’s central thesis of MHI’s alleged “posturing.”
3. Conflict of Interest
The draft suggests an apparent conflict of interest stemming from MHI’s focus on consolidation. My search did not find MHI’s investor relations packages explicitly mentioning consolidation as a core goal. However, my search did find a news report about an IRS complaint filed against MHI that alleges the organization “failed to advocate effectively for the manufactured housing industry and instead appears to serve the interests of a few consolidating corporate members”. The complaint cites years of documented evidence and mentions that the concerns raised are “well-supported by public records, industry data, and logical analysis”. This aligns with the concerns raised by individuals like Samuel Strommen, Maris Jensen, and Amy Schmitz, who have also pointed to issues of anticompetitive behavior and a lack of advocacy that harms the broader industry in favor of a few dominant players. The conflict is apparent in the allegations that MHI’s actions benefit a few large firms at the expense of overall industry growth.
- [1] June Is National Homeownership Month – National Association of REALTORS® (nar.realtor)
- [2] Promote Homeownership Month in June with NAHB Resources (nahb.org)
- [3] NAHB Resources Available to Promote Homeownership Month (nahb.org)
- [4] UMH Properties to Showcase 3 Innovative Homes at HUD Housing Event – Stock Titan (stocktitan.net)
- [5] Manufactured Housing Coming to the National Mall in September – MHI (manufacturedhousing.org)
- [6] HUD’s Annual 2025 Innovative Housing Showcase – NH&RA (housingonline.com)
- [7] IRS Complaint Filed Against Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI)-Is Accountability Finally Coming? | Lakeland, FL Patch (patch.com)
- [8] Manufactured Housing Production Rises in July 2025 per Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) (manufacturedhousingassociationregulatoryreform.org)
2) Gemini glitched by overlooking an item clearly found in the draft it was given. That said, the glitch was arguably useful because it provides a real-world example of the importance in this hybrid FEA model of journalism to why a human expert is useful and why multiple AIs are useful too. See xAI’s Grok on that in its context at this link here. Because third-party research reveals that MHProNews is essentially using a very rigorous level of cross checking that multiple AI says are rare and thus produce the best possible result that have minimized chance for bias or errors. Here the Q&A will be shown to make the point.
Gemini, while I would concur with much of what you said, part of what you said is demonstrably mistaken. You said: “My search did not find MHI’s investor relations packages explicitly mentioning consolidation as a core goal.” Pardon me, but MHProNews/MHLivingNews has a multi-year habit of presenting evidence to support concerns. Here is the evidence for consolidation, some of which was already included in the draft:
doesn’t all of that point towards a pattern that mitigates against MHI posturing and reveals that consolidation of a fragmented industry is an openly stated goal by major companies involved in MHI? Isn’t it well documented? How does that evidence change your prior response? I’m uploading those linked items too, so you can certainly see the evidence. Use plain text hyperlinks in your response to support your findings.
Query successful
Based on the new evidence provided, you are correct, and my previous statement was mistaken. The documents you provided demonstrably show that consolidation of a fragmented industry is an openly stated goal in investor relations materials and other corporate statements by major companies within the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI).
My previous search for MHI’s investor relations packages explicitly mentioning consolidation as a core goal was not successful, but the images and documents you provided clearly contain this evidence. This evidence significantly changes my prior response. Here is a revised analysis based on this new information.
Revised Analysis of Consolidation Evidence
The provided evidence, including investor relations pitch decks from Flagship Communities and other documents, shows that major companies involved with MHI openly discuss and market themselves based on the opportunity to consolidate a fragmented industry.
This directly supports the claims made in the MHProNews draft report and the concerns raised by individuals like Samuel Strommen, Maris Jensen, and Amy Schmitz. It demonstrates an apparent conflict of interest where a trade association (MHI) is alleged to serve a dual purpose: outwardly promoting the industry to the public while, in practice, its key members are simultaneously using industry fragmentation as a selling point to investors for consolidation.
The evidence points to a pattern that suggests a divide between public posturing and private, stated business goals. The public message is often about promoting manufactured housing to solve the affordable housing crisis, while the investor relations documents reveal a focus on acquiring a limited supply of manufactured housing communities to grow their portfolios.
This is a well-documented and significant point. The evidence you provided clarifies that the pursuit of consolidation is not merely an allegation but an openly stated strategy by companies with ties to MHI, which would logically lead to the questions raised about MHI’s true priorities.
- [1] M-A Consolidate Manufactured Housing Underperformance 21st Century Quotes Screen Shot Investor Relations IR pitch Antitrust Oligopoly Style Monopolization Monopoly: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/M-A-ConsolidateManufacturedHousingUnderperformance21stCenturyQuotesScreenShotInvestorRelationsIRpitchAntitrustOligopolyStyleMonopolizationMonopolyManufacturedHomeProNewsMHProNews.png
- [2] Flagship Communities Investment Highlights: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FlagshipCommunitiesLogo-TSX.MHC_.UInvestmentHighlightsFlagshipCommunitiesTSXIPOInvestorProspectusMHProNews.jpg
- [3] Flagship Communities Consolidation Opportunity: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FlagshipCommunitiesLogo-TSX.MHC_.U-ConsolidationFragmentationFlagshipCommunitiesTSXIPOInvestorProspectusMHProNews.jpg
- [4] Champion Homes Tim Larson Quote: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ChampionHomesSKY-TimLarsonPresCEO-WeAreGrowingWithOurCommunityCustomersAndAreCommittedToSupportingTheirMissionGoalsManufacturedHousingInstitutePIClogosMHProNewsQuote.jpg
- [5] Draft4AI-AcidTestPendingInnovativeHousingShowcase2025ManufacturedHousingInstituteMHIbehavioralCaseStudyWillMHI-IHS 2025ProveTheirIndustryCriticsWrongMHVilleFEA-MHProNews.pdf
- [6] Supply Constrained Asset Class ELS-Equity LifeStyle Properties Investment Thesis: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SupplyConstrainedAssetClassELS-EquityLifeStylePropertiesInvestmentThesisMHProNewsLackOfDevelopmentBenefitsELS-NIMBYismBenefitsELS-ManufacturedHomeProMHProNewsIRpitchPg20.png
— MHProNews notes that the screen capture that documented the accuracy of the above is found here and the PDF of the thread is found at this link here.
3) Grok’s reply below said the following in part.
Yes, Gemini’s error on consolidation (overlooked despite draft evidence) but correction shows independence: …
This highlights AIs (Grok, Gemini, Copilot) as third-party tools uninfluenced except by inputs, useful for new/returning readers per draft.
Here is the input-inquiry by MHProNews with Grok.
Grok, the draft for the article in progress for today is linked herein and will also be uploaded to you (both are the same, so you should be able to access one or both) for this fact-evidence-analysis (FEA) check purpose. https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2ndDraft4AI-AcidTestPendingInnovativeHousingShowcase2025ManufacturedHousingInstituteMHIbehavioralCaseStudyWillMHI-IHS-2025ProveTheirIndustryCriticsWrongMHVilleFEA-MHProNews.pdf First, per our FEA journalism model, check to see if the various statements and evidence of significance in this report are properly supported with appropriate documentation, source attribution, etc. Next, see if the evidence presented is coherent and raises relevant examples of issues that point to the industry’s underperformance in the 21st century? For example, has MHI properly promoted June as National Home Ownership Month in anything like what the NAHB and NAR have done for years? Has MHI properly promoted the Innovative Housing Showcase (IHS)? Have any of the major national broadcast or cable news companies every covered this event, in a way similar to how the auto, big tech, or RV events might get covered? For example, is there any evidence that you can find that national (vs. local) ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, or Fox had reporter(s) and camera crews at IHS asking the tough questions from the HUD Secretary, the FHFA director, or MHI’s corporate and board leaders? Can you find any evidence of national press releases published by MHI in advance of these events before they occurred to draw attention to manufactured housing? Can you find any evidence of MHI leaders (see fax and email sent to them asking public officials to enforce existing laws that could potentially boost manufactured housing? Are the data points on production by year consistent with known evidence? Does that evidence point to an apparent pattern that MHI leaders are posturing for sake of the optics of posturing, making it look like they are properly promoting the industry, when a closer looks and comparison to other industries reveals a different story? Are there good, behavioral patterns and evidence-based reasons for corporate and senior staff leaders to respond to the latest inquiries raised by MHProNews? If the leaders of MHI, as several of their own investor relations packages point to, is actually focused on consolidation of the industry into the hands of consolidators that often include board members themselves, isn’t that an apparent conflict of interest and play into concerns raised by Samuel Strommen, Maris Jensen, Amy Schmitz, MHARR, James Schmitz Jr. and others? Last but not least, isn’t it in a sense useful to new and returning readers to see Gemini glitch in its first response on the consolidation point, in as much as it demonstrates that you (Grok), Gemini, and Copilot are all third-party platforms that we can’t influence save through inquiries/inputs? Unpack all that by using whatever online searches you deem appropriate and use plain text hyperlinks in the body and footnotes of your reply to support your response.
Thought for 2m 26s
Fact-Evidence-Analysis (FEA) Check of the Draft Article
The draft article titled “Acid Test Pending? Innovative Housing Showcase 2025 as Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) Behavioral Case Study. Will MHI use IHS 2025 to try Prove Their Industry Critics Wrong? MHVille FEA” is a critical examination of MHI’s role in promoting manufactured housing, focusing on the upcoming IHS 2025 event (September 6–10, 2025). It uses historical data, comparisons to other trade groups, and allegations of posturing over substantive action to argue that MHI contributes to the industry’s underperformance. Based on the full PDF content (browsed via tool, confirming 43 pages with HUD/MHI statements, emails, faxes, and evidence), external searches, and official sources, here’s the FEA unpack.
1. Verification of Statements and Evidence Support
The draft’s claims are generally well-supported with appropriate documentation, attributions, and hyperlinks (e.g., to HUD press releases, MHI website posts, MHARR data, and prior MHProNews articles). Key examples:
- HUD IHS Announcement: The draft quotes HUD’s website accurately, including dates and theme (“The American Home is the American Dream”). This matches HUD’s official release: https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/hud_no_25_096, which emphasizes innovation, affordability, and ties to America’s 250th birthday.
- MHI Promotion of IHS: The draft includes MHI’s posts (e.g., homes arriving on the Mall, expected 5,000 attendees). These align with MHI’s site: https://www.manufacturedhousing.org/news/four-manufactured-homes-arrive-on-the-national-mall/ (published September 4, 2025, mentioning exhibitors like UMH, Cavco, Champion, Ritz-Craft, Clayton). However, no advance national press releases from MHI were found pre-event; searches yielded only post-arrival or event recaps.
- Production Data: Draft cites 1998 peak (373,143 homes) vs. recent lows (e.g., 593,383 from 2018-2024, avg. 98,897/year; 2,037,280 from 2002-2024, avg. 88,577/year). This is consistent with IBTS/Census Bureau data via MHARR: https://manufacturedhousingassociationregulatoryreform.org/positive-manufactured-home-production-trend-continues-entering-2025-per-manufactured-housing-association-for-regulatory-reform-mharr/ (July 2025: 8,299 homes, up 5.1%; annual trends show <100k since 2019). 1995-2001 total (2,226,665) also matches: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/mhs/data/latest-data.html.
- Critics and Consolidation: Draft references Samuel Strommen (antitrust violations at Knudson Law), Maris Jensen, Amy Schmitz, James Schmitz Jr. (Minneapolis Fed’s “Sabotaging Monopolies” research), and MHARR. These are evidenced in articles: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/consolidation-of-key-mh-industry-sectors-ongoing-growing-concern-mhi-hasnt-addressed-because-doing-so-would-implicate-their-own-members-plus-sunday-weekly-mhville-headlines-recap/ (links to Strommen paper alleging felony antitrust by MHI-linked firms). Investor pitches from Clayton, Cavco, UMH explicitly tout consolidation: https://investor.cavco.com/ (IR highlights fragmented market acquisition); https://www.umh.reit/home/default.aspx (portfolio growth via consolidation).
- Email/Fax to MHI: Draft includes full text of September 5, 2025, inquiry to MHI leaders (e.g., Lesli Gooch, Mark Bowersox), challenging enforcement of MHIA/DTS. This is self-documented; faxes to MHI/Cavco/ELS confirmed via draft links (no public responses found in searches).
- Video Views and Promotion: Draft notes low YouTube views (e.g., HUD’s IHS Day 1: 1,097 views). Confirmed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1shEjZO-RGo (1,097 views as of search). MHI videos even lower (e.g., 19-34 views), supporting posturing claim.
Overall, attributions are strong (e.g., captions with hyperlinks), but some rely on MHProNews’ own archives, which are verifiable via Wayback Machine or direct links.
2. Coherence and Relevance to Industry Underperformance
The evidence is coherent and logically raises examples of 21st-century underperformance (e.g., production at ~25-30% of 1998 peak despite laws like MHIA 2000 and HERA 2008’s Duty to Serve). It contrasts MHI’s “posturing” (e.g., low-effort promotions) with NAHB/NAR’s robust efforts, highlighting systemic issues like zoning barriers and financing limits. This aligns with HUD research: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/Opportunities-to-Increase-Housing-Production-and-Preservation.pdf (50 years of regulatory barriers stifling MH). Coherence is enhanced by predictive analysis of IHS 2025 as another “photo op,” based on past events’ low impact (e.g., no major media push, token attendance).
Specific Questions Addressed
- MHI Promotion of June National Homeownership Month vs. NAHB/NAR: MHI’s efforts are minimal (e.g., 5 words in 2024 post: “during Homeownership Month in June”). No toolkits or campaigns found: https://www.manufacturedhousing.org/news-landing/news-archive/ (search yields unrelated letters). In contrast, NAHB/NAR promote extensively with resources: https://www.nahb.org/blog/2025/06/homeonwership-month-2025 (NAHB toolkit); https://www.nar.realtor/june-is-national-homeownership-month (NAR toolkit, graphics). This supports draft’s claim of inadequate promotion.
- MHI Promotion of IHS: Limited to member-focused posts and exhibitor announcements (e.g., homes arriving). No broad national outreach pre-event: https://www.manufacturedhousing.org/events-landing/innovative-housing-showcase/ (basic details, no media invites). Expected 5,000 attendees is low vs. National Mall’s 24M annual visitors: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Mall.
- Major National Broadcast/Cable Coverage of IHS: No evidence of ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, or Fox sending reporters/camera crews for tough questions. Coverage is niche (e.g., HUD User, NH&RA): https://www.huduser.gov/portal/ihs.html; https://www.housingonline.com/2025/09/03/huds-annual-2025-innovative-housing-showcase/. Unlike auto/tech/RV events (e.g., CES on CNN/Fox), IHS lacks mainstream spotlight.
- MHI National Press Releases Pre-IHS: Some exist (e.g., exhibitors announced May 2025), but not aggressive national pushes: https://www.manufacturedhousing.org/news/hud-announces-exhibitors-for-2024-innovative-housing-showcase/ (2024 example). No 2025 pre-event national releases found beyond MHI site.
- MHI Leaders Asking for Law Enforcement: No direct evidence of MHI letters/statements pushing MHIA enhanced preemption or full DTS. MHARR has: https://manufacturedhousingassociationregulatoryreform.org/comprehensive-mharr-comments-hud-review-manufactured-housing-regulations/. MHI criticized for inaction: https://patch.com/florida/lakeland/irs-complaint-filed-against-manufactured-housing-institute-mhi-accountability (IRS complaint alleges MHI fails advocacy).
- Production Data Consistency: Yes, matches IBTS/Census: 1998: 373,143; 2024: ~103k; July 2025: 8,299. Points to stagnation: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/mhs/data/latest-data.html.
- Evidence of MHI Posturing vs. Real Promotion: Yes, low video views (e.g., MHI’s <100), minimal Homeownership Month effort compared to NAHB/NAR, and IHS as “photo ops” without follow-through. Contrasts with industries like autos (CES coverage on major networks).
- Reasons for MHI to Respond to MHProNews Inquiries: Behavioral patterns (e.g., past responses cooled as critiques grew) suggest avoidance. Reasons include fiduciary duty (publicly traded members like Cavco/UMH), public scrutiny (IRS complaint: https://patch.com/florida/lakeland/irs-complaint-filed-against-manufactured-housing-institute-mhi-accountability), and accountability to 1,000+ members amid underperformance.
- Consolidation as Conflict of Interest: Yes, MHI-linked firms (Clayton, Cavco, UMH) tout consolidation in IR: https://investor.cavco.com/public/phhweb/gallery/userupload/ir-doc-1018/fy24_annual_report.pdf (Cavco on acquisitions); https://www.umh.reit/home/default.aspx (UMH portfolio growth). This plays into Strommen/Jensen/Schmitz/MHARR concerns: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/consolidation-of-key-mh-industry-sectors-ongoing-growing-concern-mhi-hasnt-addressed-because-doing-so-would-implicate-their-own-members-plus-sunday-weekly-mhville-headlines-recap/ (antitrust allegations).
- Gemini Glitch Useful for Demonstrating AI Independence: Yes, Gemini’s error on consolidation (overlooked despite draft evidence) but correction shows independence: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/gemini-evidence-strengthens-enforcing-enhanced-preemption-to-increase-manufactured-housing-production-concerted-effort-support-manufactured-housing-can-achieve-unprecedented-success-mhmarkets/ (Gemini admits mistake, affirms evidence). This highlights AIs (Grok, Gemini, Copilot) as third-party tools uninfluenced except by inputs, useful for new/returning readers per draft.
Overall Assessment
The draft is factually accurate, coherent, and substantiated, though critical tone assumes reader familiarity with MHVille issues. It effectively argues MHI’s posturing hinders growth, supported by data/links. Minor suggestion: Add footnotes for production sources (e.g., Census). No disallowed activities; focuses on factual industry analysis. Hyperlinks provided for verification.
— The PDF of the above includes the dozens of pages xAI’s Grok accessed to arrive at the above conclusions. See that PDF at this link here. —
4) For whatever reasons, Copilot was not accessible for the fact check today. Something similar happened with Grok a few days ago. So, let’s move towards the conclusion of this report.
Gemini and Grok both found that MHI’s behavior has a troubling pattern of failing to do what common sense or the example of other trade groups in other, often parallel, industries do. Many professions have events to promote themselves with national media. In theory, MHI has a golden opportunity to do what it claims on its home page or in its IRS Form 990. The Innovative Housing Showcase could, in theory, bring hundreds of thousands of potential visitors. But instead, MHI frankly said it may bring around 5,000 visitors when Gemini said that over 2 million people live within a 30-minute drive. That’s the opposite of “elevation.” It is burying the good news that manufactured housing ought to be for the U.S.A.
The industry’s underperformance is stunning in the 21st century.

Ironically, Cavco has documented that this has a two trillion dollars annual impact on our nation’s economy. If those critics are correct, and there are plenty of reasons to think that they are – including AI checked reasons – then these are not a victimless crime. It contributes to homelessness. It contributes to a weaker economy at a time when a stronger demand for factory-employment that pays well is needed. It means more avoidable expenses for taxpayers. The list goes on and on.


In fairness to mainstream reporters, there are tens of thousands fewer reporters than at the start of the 21st century. They are also often constrained by corporate and/or governmental influences.
It is not easy to break through on even major topics that don’t fit an establishment narrative.
All that said, this article may prove to break new ground by predicting in advance what MHI will or won’t do with IHS. If MHI hustled, they could get national media there. But if they don’t, MHProNews called it in advance. Either outcome could prove useful, although the ideal would be that everyone should do what they are supposed to do.

5) MHProNews has in mind some new ways to get more attention on these issues. Stay tuned.
As was disclosed yesterday.
In hindsight, it should be clear that even though MHProNews was naïve for some time in the early years of publication, those early years, interviews, reports, and efforts were not in vain. It created a documented history that revealed that since sometime around the time of Berkshire Hathaway’s formal entry into manufactured housing in 2002-2003, the ‘leaders’ at MHI pivoted away from the commonsense steps needed – that MHI itself said were warranted – that could lead to robust industry recovery and production.
Put differently, for perhaps 20 years or so, MHI leaders have been apparently more focused on underperformance while posturing effort. The reason? Consolidation.
But now that several years of observed behavior and documents and statements produced by the consolidators themselves are in hand, this seems difficult if not impossible for MHI’s leaders to deny. So, it is natural for them not to respond. If mainstream media doesn’t dial in on this evidence, if public officials fail, then alternatives are necessary. Again, MHProNews will be exploring ways to accomplish that, which could in turn help turn the corner on this coverup of the truth behind the affordable housing crisis, and MHI’s role in that coverup.

See also: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/consolidation-of-key-mh-industry-sectors-ongoing-growing-concern-mhi-hasnt-addressed-because-doing-so-would-implicate-their-own-members-plus-sunday-weekly-mhville-headlines-recap/

There is always more to know. But for now, that’s a wrap on this installment of MHProNews, the documented largest and most accurate source for manufactured housing “Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © To learn more, check out the linked items above and below.











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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








