The following news release from the Washington, D.C. based Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) is followed by additional information. That information is in part focused on Lesli Gooch, Ph.D., CEO of the Manufactured Housing Institute, and their response to inquiries about the disconnect between historically low manufactured home industry performance and MHI’s years of claims about their various promotional efforts.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: MHARR
(202) 783-4087
INDUSTRY PRODUCTION DECLINES IN OCTOBER 2020
Washington, D.C., December 3, 2020 – The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) reports that according to official statistics compiled on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), HUD Code manufactured housing industry year-over-year production decreased in October 2020. Just-released statistics indicate that HUD Code manufacturers produced 9,035 homes in October 2020, a 4.0% decrease from the 9,415 new HUD Code homes produced during October 2019. Cumulative 2020 production at the end of October 2020, now stands at 78,761 homes, as compared with 79,912 homes produced over the same period in 2019, a decline of 1.4%.
A further analysis of the official industry statistics shows that the top ten shipment states from the beginning of the industry production rebound in August 2011 through October 2020 — with cumulative, monthly, current year (2020) and prior year (2019) shipments per category as indicated — are:
The October 2020 production data results in no changes to the cumulative top-ten list.
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.
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Additional Information, MHProNews Analysis and Commentary
Summing up the above from MHARR, which is based upon IBTS research conducted on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), MHARR says the new HUD Code manufactured housing production data for October 2020, is boiled down to this.
New HUD Code Manufactured Homes Production
Year Over Year (YoY) in October 2020 vs. 2019,
and cumulative YoY totals 2020 vs. 2019.
- October 2020 = 9035
- October 2019 = 9415
- A decline of -4.03%
- Cumulative 2020 now = 78,761
- Cumulative 2019 was = 79,912
- A decline of -1.44%
As recent and upcoming reports by conventional housing sources reveal, conventional housing can not keep up with the demand for single family housing, especially ‘affordable’ housing. One of several examples is the data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) linked below.
As longtime MHProNews readers know, MHI hired an outside attorney to monitor all that we publish. Additionally, sources inside MHI tell MHProNews that various key members and staff are routinely on our website too. That is noted because they are well aware of our reporting and analysis.
None of the questions or related concerns that follow below are new to them.
At 10:34 AM ET on this date, MHProNews sent the following inquiry to MHI CEO Lesli Gooch, Ph.D. As the message makes clear, it probes MHI’s explanation for the wide gap between years of MHI supported ‘research,’ ‘focus groups,’ and ‘promotions’ vs. the poor outcomes.
Lesli,
As some of our MHProNews reports below reflect, conventional housing in both resales and new construction are soaring.
1) So how does the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) explain the fact that
manufactured housing is still sliding, per the newest IBTS data?
2) Didn’t MHI produce research and focus group results that your trade association claimed would lead to more sales and increased manufactured housing industry momentum?
3) Doesn’t the actual results in the past two years belie the various research and claims regarding CrossModTM style manufactured homes?
4) Given poor results, is there some point in time when MHI will pivot back to correctly promoting mainstream manufactured housing and abandon the push for the clearly failed CrossModTM project?
5) Last questions for now. How do you explain the allegations and evidence that you have done paid professional services for non-manufactured housing interests while collecting a paycheck from MHI? Do you have written authorization for that type of conflict of interest? If so, will you produce that authorization from one or more MHI board members?
You know the drill. Please type your replies below each of the questions above for our mutual clarity in handling. No word limits. Feel free to provide documents and illustrations to back up your claims.
Thank you.
Tony
For MHProNews
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Gooch and MHI declined to respond. Those inquiries and allegations stand unchallenged. Should they opt to reply later, an updated report can be produced.
Let’s note that MHI member companies, such as Skyline Champion, Legacy Housing, or board member Rick Rand’s Great Value Homes are among those companies that have answered requests for comments on the record in 2020. Additionally, others at MHI have provided off the record replies.
Furthermore, MHI has professional inside and outside counsel and public relations people that could have cranked out a reply. Instead, MHI continues to evade obvious questions about performance and conflicts of interest.
MHProNews will continue to probe and spotlight the wide gap between performance in conventional housing, or other big ticket sales industries, vs. the generally poor performance of manufactured housing. For now, see the related reports to learn more.
State-by-State Manufactured Home Production, Shipment Data – October 2020 Report and Analysis
There is always more to read and more to come. Stay tuned with 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, further below. 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
Related References:
The text/image boxes below are linked to other reports, which can be accessed by clicking on them.
