When have you ever known someone to have a toothache that cured itself?
People with “sensitive teeth” may resort to a brand of toothpaste that reduces the pain. But the cause of that pain is still there.
People with cavities who ignore the cause – baring a miracle – don’t wake up one day to find that their tooth healed itself.
Rather, in each case of tooth pain, the prudent person seeks and obtains the best available solution.
Shouldn’t Manufactured Housing’s toothaches be handled the same way?
The latest comments on Industry Voices deal with issues that causes metaphorical toothaches that harm the manufactured housing routinely.
Much like a tooth that isn’t treated, a person may start chewing on a different side of their mouth. This is akin to “running away” from the issues that cause the problems in MHVille – the proverbial toothache – in the first place.
Practicing the Proper Principles Leads to the Proper Solutions
MHPros can’t force an errant community or retailer to do what is right. FYI – we do provide the opportunity for those spotlighted to present their side of the story – but most often, they opt to say nothing at all.
But forward-looking pros who understand that the affordable housing crisis could be profitably solved by MH shouldn’t be silent when something questionable or wrong occurs. Because the consequence of silence – which is a little like avoiding chewing where a cavity exists – is the centuries-old adage: silence betokens consent.
One of the savvy – and successful – state executives told me, “We don’t defend bad actors.”
GMHA’s Jay Hamilton put it this way.
Abscessed Tooth?
Accountability is important in any good business or profession. When we spotlight the good alongside those issues that are problematic, we all gain some much-needed credibility.
When we let the tooth go on aching, we risk an abscess. That can lead to serious health issues, even death.
Tackling problematic issues can be profitable, but only if we do so prudently. Please see this related topic:
Can Misinformation become Profitable?
The HUD Code was “born,” so to speak, as a result of the dark clouds of improper quality back-in-the-day, that some – not all – firms in the late 1960s and early 1970s had created through poor choices. We still suffer from that, and the only way to cure it is for “best practices,” goal-and-solution oriented professionals to work together to spotlight what’s bad, as well as celebrate all that is good.
Let’s end the industry’s toothaches.
They cost manufactured housing collectively tens of billions of dollars a year – and poorly run MHCs are just one of those sources of pain in HUDVille. ##
(Editor’s Notes: Problematic MHCs are spotlighted in these two Industry Voices guest letters:
- San Antonio “Slumlord” Spotlighted
- San Antonio Media Spotlights ‘Deceptive’ Community Operator, a Texan’s take – other perspectives are welcome.)
