“I have been a vocal critic of HUD’s Alternative Construction (AC) approval for carport-ready homes.  I don’t believe an AC approval for homes built with a host beam is warranted or that the AC approval process is the proper regulatory procedure,” said Jim Ayotte in a letter-to-the-editor of MHProNews.

“I communicated my concerns to Pamela Danner, Administrator of the federal manufactured housing program in a face-to-face meeting,” Ayotte stated.

“I pointed out that there is no basis for requiring AC approval for homes designed carport-ready because HUD’s own Hurricane assessment data showed that no post-1994 constructed homes experienced more than exterior finish damage.  HUD’s assessment was consistent with the findings of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DMV) after four 2004 hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne) and Hurricane Wilma in 2005.  The DMV evaluated 52,233 mobile and manufactured homes and concluded no post-1994 homes experienced significant damage,” per Ayotte’s guest column to MHProNews.

For the rest of Ayotte’s statements and insights, click here.

While not explicitly stated by Ayotte, his commentary relates to a controversy raised by another award-winning manufactured housing industry state executive, Andy Gallagher from the West Virginia Housing Institute (WVHI).

For more on how Gallagher has spotlighted the issues about Danner and HUD that were detailed by Ayotte, see reports linked here and here. ## (News, analysis, and commentary.)

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Submitted by Soheyla Kovach to the Daily Business News for MHProNews.com.

Soheyla is a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC the parent company to MHProNews and MHLivingNews.com.