It is almost axiomatic that no two people see eye-to-eye on everything. Imagine, for a few moments, identical twins that you may have met. Or a happily married couple that have been together for years and years. Or partners in a successful business enterprise. No one you have ever met, nor ever will meet, have agreed on everything 100 percent of the time. That said, on issue after issue, MHProNews and the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) have largely agreed on numerous key and pressing issues with regards to what is “holding back” or creating “bottlenecks” for so much of the 21st century manufactured housing industry. That broad agreement demonstrably pre-dates MHARR being a sponsor of this site; in fact, it dates back years to when the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) was a sponsor of this site and MHProNews’ parent company was a MHI member. As Google’s AI powered Gemini documented, MHProNews critiqued MHI while still being an MHI member and while MHI and several of their leading brands were still sponsors.
Meaning, our expert and editorial views are demonstrably not influenced by ad dollars. We are independent.
Who says? Why not ask Danny Ghorbani?
There have been times, recent and years prior, when we disagreed on this or that topic. But the disagreements were professional. The thrust of our thinking and our mutual hopes for a more robust future for manufactured housing are quite similar. Those are all relevant disclosures for this timely and potentially groundbreaking for many interview or Q&A between MHProNews and Ghorbani.
MHProNews has previously interviewed numbers of professionals who were Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) corporate or staff leaders. Prior interviews include state association leaders who are MHI members. Our library of MHProNews Q&As include individuals who were members of Congress, HUD officials, attorneys and others. Additionally, MHProNews has pithy- to detailed-responses from a range of professionals on housing related topics. An example of the latter is linked here.
Keep in mind that Ghorbani has been involved in the manufactured housing industry for approaching 60 years. So his experience pre-dates the HUD Code for manufactured housing.
To confirm claims in this introduction above, consider this Q&A with Bing‘s AI powered Copilot on 5.3.2025, some more of which will followed the interview with RV MH Hall of Fame inductee, Danny Ghorbani in Part I of this report with analysis. To objectively frame the Q&A with Copilot below, this followed a different but related Q&A on 5.2.2025 with Copilot that is referenced in the inquiry.
Nicely done. I’ve used it at (see uploaded document at this link here: florida/lakeland/how-advocates-fran-quigley-robert-reich-shape-housing-narratives – OK Let’s do something still manufactured housing industry related. AI powered Gemini recently confirmed on MHProNews that MHProNews critiqued the Manufactured Housing Institute (a.k.a.: MHI or manufacturedhousing.org) while the parent company of MHProNews was still an MHI member and while MHI and several MHI companies were MHProNews sponsors, scan the site and correct, confirm, or clarify if that statement is factually accurate? Also, is it fair to say that MHProNews has the largest known collection of written interviews and quotes from higher profile members of MHI, the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR), then members of Congress, prior HUD officials, attorneys and others linked to manufactured housing industry topics, is that fair? See uploads at this link here: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/manufactured-housing-interviews/ scan the web as needed and link your results.
Additionally, MHProNews appears to have the largest known collection of written interviews and quotes from higher-profile members of MHI, the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR), members of Congress, prior HUD officials, attorneys, and others linked to manufactured housing industry topics. 3 4 5 The site has conducted extensive interviews with key industry figures, providing insights into regulatory challenges, market trends, and policy discussions.
You can explore more details on MHProNews’ interview collection here. Would you like to dive deeper into specific interviews or critiques related to MHI?
- 1) https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/manufactured-housing-institute-housing-alert-supreme-court-case-challenges-cfpb-funding-mhi-backstory-implications-explored-legal-contingency-champions-w/
- 2) https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/several-manufactured-housing-institute-members-including-manufactured-home-community-owner-operator-companies-and-datacomp-hit-by-big-antitrust-lawsuit-plus-mhville-markets-update/
- 3) https://manufacturedhousingassociationregulatoryreform.org/mark-weiss-addresses-the-manufactured-housing-industrys-twin-crises-an-mhpronews-interview-with-mharr-president-and-ceo-mark-weiss-j-d/
- 4) https://manufacturedhousingassociationregulatoryreform.org/interview-reprint-of-mark-weiss-j-d-president-and-ceo-of-mharr-responding-to-questions-previously-posed-to-manufactured-housing-institute-ceo-lesli-gooch/
- 5) https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/mharr-news-update-major-and-continuing-mharr-accomplishments-for-the-hud-code-manufactured-housing-industry-and-consumers-of-affordable-housing-with-mhville-facts-evidence-analysis-fea/
This writer for MHProNews entered the industry in the early 1980s, about 5 years after the HUD Code for manufactured housing went into effect.
So, these are two multi-decade manufactured home industry experts – one asking for insights on relevant topics of interest and concerns, and another expert with decades of experience in Washington, D.C. responding.
Part I MHProNews Q&A with Danny Ghorbani
MHProNews QUESTION
President Trump recently celebrated the first 100 days of his second term as President, as well as his accomplishments during that period. In addition, there have been a flurry of activity by President Trump, his Administration and other entities in the housing, mortgage and home finance industries that could broadly affect federally regulated manufactured housing. We have a general question to ask you so our readers can better grasp the relevant interplay or details among those diverse factors. More specifically, because manufactured housing is the only segment of the U.S. housing industry that is subject to comprehensive federal regulation regarding production, although state and local governments can impact how HUD Code homes are treated post-production after they leave production centers. MHARR suggested in a recent headline that it seeks “alignment” of the manufactured housing industry with President Trump and HUD Secretary Scott Turner’s stated goals for more affordable home ownership. Please elaborate on your expert views and opinions on those notions and topics for our manufactured home industry readers.
Danny Ghorbani’s ANSWER
I would like to start by stating that I cannot remember another United States President in my life who has done more and faster than President Trump in his first 100 days. When you think of the President’s more than 140 Executive Orders, added to his pending “BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL” and his April 2nd “Liberation Day” tariff policies in a mere 100 days is a backbreaking pace. No other U.S. President before this second term of President Trump has ever undertaken (including his first term) as much. I truly doubt any future U.S. president could equal this start. So, let’s give President Trump plenty of credit for what’s been done and started.
That said, it is safe to assume that much of President Trump’s undertakings will have long-lasting directly and indirect effects on the housing/mortgage/finance industries. We can expect positive results.
President Trump doubled down and expanded on his first term vision, views, goals and policies in changing the federal government’s role in housing. Decades of subsidies for homeownership and rentals didn’t solve the housing crisis. Enabling consumers to own their own home benefits affordable housing seekers and all those who authentically support affordable homeownership. Comprehensively federally regulated manufactured homes are critical to that vision and provide President Trump and HUD Secretary Scott Turner the opportunity to address key bottlenecks that have stymied the growth of the industry.
As an aside and in my view, somebody should tell the folks at the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) that they made a big mistake when they decided without any rationale or reasonable explanation to change the industry’s two successful, well established and good-as-gold themes from “AFFORDABLE HOME and FACTORY BUILT HOME” to the meaningless “attainable home” and “off-site built home.” By doing so, they have created chaos and confusion which is now manifesting itself in the newly introduced bi-partisan legislation named “Housing Supply Framework Act” or (HSFA), that needs to be corrected.
President Trump’s selection of Scott Turner for the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) may prove to be particularly good for our industry.
I’d urge MHI, the manufactured housing industry’s self-proclaimed post-production sector’s national rep, to recognize the window of opportunity that Trump 2.0 and Secretary Turner could mean for consumers. Logically, if something benefits millions of potential affordable housing/manufactured home consumers, that can obviously benefit producers, retailers, investors and others.
In my opinion, MHI failed miserably during the Trump Administration’s first term with then HUD Secretary, Dr. Ben Carson. Our industry, consumers, and taxpayers have paid dearly for it ever since.
Back to current HUD Secretary Turner. I encourage MHProNews readers to review and consider Secretary Turner’s March 19, 2025 interview with Punchbowl News.
That interview clearly reveals Secretary Turner’s basic views and goals on advancing “AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP” for American homebuyers. I may sound a bit biased because Secretary Turner is a fellow alumnus of the University of Illinois. But in advancing “opportunity zones” during President Trump’s first term, now-Secretary Turner’s vision, pragmatism, and results-oriented approach paralleled those of the first term of the president.
That continues to be the case today.
In fact, on April 22, 2025, Secretory Turner along with Arkansas Governor Sara Huckabee and Congressman Steve Womack (R-AK) participated in an “Opportunity Zones” roundtable before taking a tour of Fayetteville’s Hillcrest Towers, a public housing complex.
During the visit, Secretary Turner shared his hopes for those who currently rely on government housing, stating: “My heart is not to grow the amount of people on subsidies. My heart is not to grow the amount of people that need government help. My heart is to get people off of subsidies and live a life of self-sustainability.”
Sec. Turner is correct. Because some of HUD’s own researchers revealed that 50 plus years of federal subsidies has not solved the affordable housing crisis. While all kinds of new housing construction can be useful, only HUD Code manufactured homes are “inherently” affordable as HUD itself defines affordable housing. Subsidies may benefit certain landlords or some who are struggling, but how does it benefit those who don’t qualify for subsidies or the millions who could qualify for the financing needed to buy a manufactured home?
Speaking of financing. President Trump’s apparent skeptical view of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is a breath of fresh air for our industry and our consumers who have been tortured by these two incompetent and worthless organizations for nearly four decades. But in my view, the Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) and those who benefit from the status quo have been much worse since 2008. This is because Fannie and Freddie continue to resist the full and proper implementation of the Duty to Serve Underserved Markets provision of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) of 2008.
The Enterprises’ miserable failure to comply with that unambiguous law is at the root of the other post-production bottlenecks (i.e., chattel loans at fair and reasonable rates) that has bedeviled our industry. Nearly 80% of HUD Code consumers — who are mostly moderate- and lower-income homebuyers – are currently pushed into chattel loans at much higher rates with Clayton Homes’ Vanderbilt Mortgage and 21st Mortgage companies, the largest providers of such loans in the absence of DTS.
So, it is obvious that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac need major reforms that have long been overdue and ignored.
President Trump has already taken one potentially helpful action by appointing Bill Pulte Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), the organization that regulates these two runaway government-chartered corporations, as a new board member of Fannie Mae. Thus, Director Pulte could bring about some common-sense to one of them. But deeper and more expansive reform of the two mortgage giant GSEs, which get taxpayer backed benefits, while defying the implementation of the straightforward Duty to Serve law should not be tolerated.
On a related note, President Trump’s persuasion and cajoling of the Federal Reserve’s Chairman, Jerome Powell, to lower interest rates should pay dividends to both the housing industry and its consumers.
There is no better friend to the housing industry and consumers than lower interest rates on home loans.
Low rates are as or more important to the manufactured housing industry which serves the moderate and lower-income American families. The lack of chattel lending support for the manufactured housing industry is part of the assault by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and those who benefit from that status quo.
Also important is the President’s “BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL” which, among many other things, would extend the Trump tax cuts, and help the economy by putting more money in people’s pockets, including potential home buyers as well as smaller businesses.
This next point is so important. President Trump’s continuing efforts to both cut unnecessary federal regulation and make the federal government more efficient will have far-reaching effects on all businesses. But it could be especially useful to industries like ours that are comprehensively regulated by the federal government.
I doubt that millions of Americans realize just how wasteful, bloated, abusive and out of touch governments at all levels have become.
Folks who work in comprehensively regulated industries understand because they see and feel it every day that they go to work.
The manufactured housing industry has busted its behind and created two landmark laws that would double, triple and arguably quadruple the industry’s production within a few years. Meanwhile the industry could be providing affordable homeownership to potentially millions of Americans. The fact that currently it cannot do so because of government resistance to their full and proper implementation is a perfect example of government’s wasteful, bloated, abusive and out of touch mentality and actions.
To be sure, in the case of our industry, a large share of the blame must rightly and squarely be placed on MHI, which is the industry’s self-proclaimed post-production representation. But a good association’s job is supposed to be to advocate for all of its members, not just favored ones.
Be that as it may, the fact remains that thanks to the creation of MHARR in 1985, which led the fight and successfully reformed the old trailer laws, the United States Congress passed those two laws in a widely bipartisan way. But the relevant federal agencies and the GSEs obviously continue to resist their full and proper implementation.
Put simply, our industry and our consumers can no longer tolerate these types of ridiculous failures by a representation that gets paid handsomely by our hardworking post-production retail, community, finance, transport, installers, insurance, suppliers and others.
Fortunately for our industry, with President Trump’s second term, we have a second opportunity to correct these failures and do the right thing for all members of our industry and not just a few companies.
In my view, the post-production representation of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) totally wasted the Trump Administration’s first term. They wasted the opportunity of working more productively with a similarly like-minded HUD Secretary in Dr. Ben Carson while he was in office. Secretary Carson was clearly ready and willing to advance our industry.
Now, in this second Trump Administration, the President and Secretary Turner have already etched in stone their vision and goal of “AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP” for American home buyers.
As I personally explained to Secretary Turner at his March 25, 2025 meeting with MHARR executives, such a great undertaking and cause can best be achieved by full inclusion and participation of the HUD regulated manufactured housing industry.
As usual and to its credit, MHARR has once again taken the lead for the entire industry and openly and publicly reported all the steps it has taken and will continue to take since its Board of Directors meeting on Friday November 8, 2024. That was just three days after President Trump’s victory on November 5, 2024 election.
Hopefully, the rest of the industry will wake-up and do the same in order to seek manufactured housing’s alignment with President Trump’s and HUD Secretary Turner’s vision and goal of “AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP” for the most positive outcome and results for consumers and other stakeholders going forward.
Danny Ghorbani
May 2, 2025
Part II – More MHProNews Facts Evidence and Analysis (FEA) with Linked Related Insights.
In no particular order of importance are the following observations.
1) Note that this part of the response by Bing‘s Copilot shown below is from an article that is linked here, but which means (Copilot’s choice) an MHI related article at this link here and on the Patch at this link here. Copilot also cited analyst Greg Palm, see his remarks about manufactured housing industry underperformance found at at this link here.
Analysts’ Role in Overlooking Critical Questions
The role of earnings call analysts is not merely to evaluate financial performance, but also to probe corporate accountability and legal obligations. Greg Palm, among others, has recognized the industry’s underperformance but has not leveraged opportunities during earnings calls to ask deeper questions about regulatory failures. If analysts fail to highlight these factors, investors may lack critical insights into potential risks, including legal challenges and market instability.
Conclusion: Holding Industry Insiders and Advocates Accountable
Manufactured housing investors, consumers, and policymakers are entitled to fair and transparent industry practices. Yet, both industry insiders (such as MHI members) and progressive influencers like Fran Quigley and Robert Reich appear to be strategically selective in their narratives. Analysts, meanwhile, could be doing more to ask critical questions that impact investor confidence and consumer protections.
Understanding the Champion Homes Q3 2025 earnings call offers an instructive case study on the need for greater scrutiny—not just from regulatory bodies, but also from analysts, journalists, and advocates who claim to represent public interests.
For the full analysis, including specific evidence and data, visit the original article on Manufactured Home Pro News.
2) Copilot. Gemini. xAI’s Grok. Three different AI systems. Once they are provided with relevant information, all three have made similar observations. All three AI systems, clearly independent of MHProNews, have found that MHARR is transparent and has been faithful to its stated mission.
All three AI systems have found that MHI is engaged in wordplay and posturing that attempts to mask their efforts on behalf of their dominating members who clearly want to consolidate the manufactured home industry.
MHI has said that they want to see the Duty to Serve (DTS) manufactured housing lending and for the full and proper implementation of the “enhanced preemption” provision of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000. (a.k.a. MHIA, MHIA 2000, 2000 Reform Act, 2000 Reform Law). If so, they are going about it in a strange way that just magically happens to result in the steady consolidation of manufactured housing. Instead of “aligning” with the interests of the consumers seeking more affordable housing, ‘retail’ or Main Street investors, or the independent businesses of the manufactured housing industry, MHI has openly aligned with an array of nonprofit groups that routinely represent the interests of far more costly conventional housing that cannot solve the affordable housing crisis without subsidies. Decades of federal or other subsidies have proven that they have never closed the affordable housing gap. Only by the far more robust use of what MHARR calls “inherently” affordable manufactured homes can the affordable housing crisis be solved. All forms of housing are needed. This publication isn’t editorially opposed to conventional housing. That said, without millions of more manufactured homes and modulars too, the affordable housing crisis can’t be solved. The NAHB has admitted that they can’t build housing that almost nowhere in the U.S. can they built a home that is affordable for a first-time homebuyer.
3) As the featured image at the top right of this article visually underscores, Ghorbani was there when the 2000 Reform Law was finalized.
None of those at MHI today were present.
The turnover at MHI is fairly routine, while the staff at MHARR has been remarkably steadfast and engaged.
Approaching 25 years since the 2000 Reform Act was passed, Ghorbani is still trying to get MHI to be faithful to its own stated mission. See that visualized on the top left of the featured image at the top of this article. There is institutional memory found in the MHARR staff. By contrast, contemporary MHI has erased institutional memory of several of the past MHI presidents/CEOs, vice presidents, past positions/documents, and more from their website. Copilot called it “Orwellian.”
4) While Ghorbani attempts to publicly nudge MHI into ‘alignment’ with the Trump Administration, it is worth recalling that during the Biden-Harris (D) years, MHI curiously failed to push federal enhanced preemption even though then-Senator Joe Biden was part of the coalition that enacted the 2000 Reform Act. MHI supported Democratic plans that would not help the industry’s two “bottlenecks” but could have benefited special interests among conventional housing providers.
5) Trade groups are ideally supposed to work with both major parties as much as possible. But ‘working with’ and ‘surrendering’ are two different things. A trade group has to fight for what is right when appropriate. Otherwise, they are failing segments of their members. Third-party insights on what makes for a good trade association are found in the article linked below.
6) It remains to be seen if MHARR can nudge others – like MHI and its insiders – into alignment with the Trump Agenda. But Ghorbani’s Q&A above reminds readers why Trump could provide a unique opportunity to break decades of downturn, stagnation, and status quo. MHARR publicly tried to get MHI and its state association affiliates to work with the first Trump administration instead of just engaging in photo ops.
7) Ghorbani has taken the time to engage with MHProNews several times in recent years. A collection of all of the prior Q&As with MHProNews are found at this link here. Those Q&As with Ghorbani are ONLY the question and his reply, without added commentary or analysis.
8) As has been true with prior Q&As, MHProNews plans on providing MHARR with a copy of this Q&A posted in Part I in the near term.
9) MHProNews would encourage MHI to respond publicly to Ghorbani’s outreach and suggesting. MHProNews reminds readers that MHARR apparently had to push MHI into the litigation that slowed the advance of the Manufactured Housing Energy Rule.
10) Ghorbani was keen in pointing out how HUD Secretary Turner wants to help people get off public subsidies and into affordable housing.
“My heart is not to grow the amount of people on subsidies. My heart is not to grow the amount of people that need government help. My heart is to get people off of subsidies and live a life of self-sustainability.”
11) In a sense, Ghorbani appears to be trying to thread the needle in a manner not unlike President Trump. Trump holds people to account, but he is willing to pivot when even individuals or groups that were prior opponents make a sincere effort to find common ground that results in mutual benefits.
12) While it isn’t a given that MHI will respond, MHARR has on several occasions managed to get MHI to pivot. It is prudent to make such an effort.
It isn’t ‘unity’ at any price that is needed. Rather, it is alignment with a specific, necessary and proven agenda that was passed by Congress in a bipartisan way.
Time will tell if this effort by Ghorbani in Part I achieves past successful efforts for “alignment” that benefits tens of millions of potential affordable housing consumers, smaller businesses, Main Street investors, taxpayers, and others. MHProNews plans to report according to what the facts, evidence and events reveal. What may make this successful is precisely the kind of points that Ghorbani raised. There is a need to make more Americans less dependent on federal spending. Perhaps one of the best tools to accomplish that is to allow the HUD regulated manufactured housing industry to ‘do its job.’ It is an arguably insightful positioning. Stay tuned.
There are sound reasons why AI has said that MHProNews has more than 6x the combined readership of MHI and its affiliated bloggers and trade media.
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
