‘Supply Sabotage.’ Atty-Manufactured Housing Antitrust Case Extension. Manufactured Housing Institute Silent. Mashup-50 States Manufactured Home Production-Shipments. Sunday Weekly Recap-FEA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s New, Recent, and Select from Washington, D.C. based MHARR

 

 

What’s New, Recent and Select from the Masthead

From Tim Connors, CSP and his Words of Wisdom

 

What’s New in the more Eclectic Smorgasbord of topics from contributor L. A. “Tony” Kovach in the “Reality Check” series for the mainstream Patch

— Articles on the Patch may have some overlap to topics on MHProNews, MHLivingNews, MHARR or other sources. But each has unique content, even if there may be some overlap. Patch articles tend to be shorter. MHProNews states the obvious by noting that there are no known working crystal balls. That said, our articles here, on MHLivingNews, or on the mainstream Patch are written to stand the test of time. The Facts-Evidence-Analysis (FEA) approach produces more reliable reporting. The first article linked below was extensively fact checked with AI for clarity on a subject that is thorny for many. ‘Non-manufactured housing’ topics on the Patch may have applications for our industry too. —

MHProNews Programming Notice. MHProNews is making the pivot from Patch previously announced during December 2025.  MHProNews is developing a “contributor” relationship with HousingWire.

What’s New on the Daily Business News on MHProNews

Saturday 1.3.2026

Friday 1.2.2026

Thursday 1.1.2026

 

Wednesday 12.31.2025

 

Tuesday 12.30.2025

 

Monday 12.29.2025

 

Sunday 12.28.2025

 

Postscript

What follows in the third-party artificial intelligence (AI) fact-evidence-analysis (FEA) checks are not in the chronology order they were originally asked. The reason is simple. MHProNews editorially believes that the following order will be more useful for readers who are in or beyond the boundaries (so to speak) of the manufactured home profession. But our readers are provided with each of the full Q&As, so they could decide on their own which order makes sense. In the first Q&A that follows, the input-inquiry that sparks the response by ChatGPT is as shown.

1) This input-inquiry by MHProNews below resulted in the response (Q-A) by ChatGPT as shown. This occurred at about 9 AM ET on 1.4.2026.

ChatGPT, MHProNews’ L. A. “Tony” Kovach published via HousingWire two op-eds so far that have named names, including several higher profile people and firms involved in the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), is that correct? Can you find any public response https://www.housingwire.com/articles/a-thunderclap-unpacking-umh-ceo-sam-landys-statements-defines-the-failure-metric-in-road-to-housing-act-via-op-ed/ and https://www.housingwire.com/articles/judge-valderramas-roadmap-for-successful-antitrust-litigation-in-affordable-housing-crisis/ and https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/MHProNewsEmailPatrickWaiteBIllBoorTomHodgesJohnGochLesliGoochMarkBowersoxMollyBoyleMMHA-ManufacturedHousingInstituteMHI-MMHAreMMHAvsWarrenCaseScreenshot-2025-12-29-002143.png and https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/EmailsPatrickWaiteBillBoorTomHodgesLesliGoochDavidGochPlaintiffsInAntitrustCaseManufacturedHousingInstituteScreenshot-2026-01-02-063102.png given that emails have asked for such a response, and the HousingWire article itself invites a response? If not, what are the possible implications of that, given that MHI’s Lesli Gooch responded Doug Ryan and James Schmitz (in the later case, on a more minor point, not his antitrust arguments), and https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ThereAreGoodArgumentsThatWeShouldRespondEveryStoryRefuteEveryStatisticMakeOurCaseToPublicTimWilliamsFrmrManufacturedHousingInstituteChairCEO21stMortgageCorpQuotePhotoMHProNews.jpg and outside MHI attorney David Goch’s remarks on behalf of MHI: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/DavidPGochJD-attorneyPhotoWebsterChamberlainBeanLOGO-quoteMHI-ActivelyMonitorsUntrueDisparagingStatementsMHProNewsQuotableQuote.png ? Use plain text hyperlinks to support your findings.

Yes — **MHProNews’ L. A. “Tony” Kovach has published two named-by-name HousingWire op-eds that include high-profile people and firms connected to the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI): one unpacking UMH CEO Sam Landy’s statements on the ROAD to Housing Act and a second analyzing Judge Valderrama’s antitrust-related roadmap for future litigation. HousingWire+1

Here’s what publicly available evidence shows regarding responses:

1. No public response by MHI or senior MHI leaders
A search of the Manufactured Housing Institute’s official news releases and public statements shows no direct rebuttal to either HousingWire op-ed (the Sam Landy analysis or the Judge Valderrama antitrust roadmap). There are no press releases or published statements from MHI, Lesli Gooch, Tim Williams, Molly Boyle, or other top MHI leaders on those specific op-eds or inquiries, despite documented outreach. Public and social media searches also return no public denial or refutation from those parties. MHI+1

2. MHI has responded in other contexts
In contrast, there are documented instances where MHI leadership has publicly responded to critiques by others:

• Lesli Gooch responded to Doug Ryan’s antitrust criticism in American Banker.

• MHI published a response to a Washington Post op-ed by James Schmitz Jr. and Lee Ohanian.

• Former MHI Chairman Tim Williams articulated a principle that the industry should respond to every story and refute inaccurate statistics.

• Attorney David Goch, speaking on behalf of MHI, stated that the organization actively monitors “untrue disparaging statements.”
  (These points are part of MHProNews’ documented reporting.) manufacturedhomelivingnews.com

3. Possible implications of the silence
Given the capability and precedent for responding, the absence of a public response to the HousingWire op-eds could suggest one or more of the following reasoned inferences under a fact-based analysis:

• MHI may choose not to engage publicly on these topics for strategic reasons (e.g., legal caution, internal deliberation, or avoiding amplification of contentious claims).

• Silence on these specific op-eds, despite invitations to respond and documented outreach, may be interpreted as reluctance to publicly dispute the evidence-based analysis being presented.

• In contrast to past responses, this pattern — where published criticisms *name MHI members or leadership but do not elicit a rebuttal — suggests a selective responsiveness that warrants scrutiny in the context of the industry’s advocacy claims.

4. Context from independent reporting
Industry analysis outside MHProNews also notes that besides Sam Landy’s op-ed comments, “there are no other widely-cited, public, non-paywalled comments from MHI or its board members” addressing core issues like consolidation or specific statutory reform. That underscores the notable absence of public dialogue on these crucial policy critiques from MHI itself. manufacturedhomelivingnews.com

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In summary (FEA):

• Tony Kovach has published two HousingWire op-eds naming MHI-related leaders and firms. HousingWire+1

• No direct, public responses from MHI or its senior leaders have been found concerning those op-eds.

• MHI has responded in other contexts, showing capability and precedent.

• The silence in these specific cases — despite invitations and documented outreach — is a notable divergence from past patterns, and it can be interpreted as strategic non-engagement rather than an outright denial of the underlying evidence presented.

— MHProNews notes that the PDF of the full Q&A shown above, which includes linked results provided by ChatGPT not shown in the above, is found at this link here. ChatGPT confirmed that PDF as accurate in the screen shot linked here and also shown below. —

 

2) The Q&A with Grok is next up. Only the response is shown, but the PDF of the full Q&A that shows both the MHProNews input inquiry PLUS the linked search results produced by Grok beyond these shown responses will follow in the PDF download after Grok’s shown findings. Note that Grok is also critiquing also ChatGPT’s response to the PDF of this weekly review and its various articles. Both Grok and ChatGPT reviewed that pre-publication draft found of this article found at this link here.

 

Facts-Evidence-Analysis (FEA) of the Pre-Publication Draft

Overall Draft Structure and Reliability

Facts: The draft is a Sunday weekly recap for MHProNews (1/4/2026), focusing on manufactured housing (MH) industry updates. It covers an antitrust case extension (plaintiffs’ attorney confirmed Jan 26, 2026 amended filing), MHI silence on allegations, October 2025 IBTS/HUD production/shipment data (89,169 total shipments, down 20.9% YOY), and a mashup of headlines from the week (e.g., antitrust op-eds, fraud scandals, media pivots). HI (MHProNews) frames “supply sabotage” as quoted from sources, linking to broader economic/political contexts. AI elements: References prior checks by Gemini/Copilot/ChatGPT on individual stories, confirming multi-AI triangulation.

Evidence: Draft aligns with sources—e.g., HUD data matches Census/IBTS reports; antitrust extension email verified via attorney quote. No exhaustive claims; draft acknowledges limits (e.g., “not pretending to be exhaustive”). Online checks confirm no major errors in headlines (detailed below).

Analysis: HI provides reliable, documented content—time-limited focus on key MHVille issues enhances utility without overreach. AI cross-checks (2+ per story) minimize bias/errors, yielding consensus. Fair: Exhaustiveness impossible due to info volume; draft’s approach balances depth with accessibility. Relevance: Builds trust for readers by showing AI/HI synergy. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/econ/mhs/latest-data.html https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/manufactured-home-lot-rents-antitrust-litigation-case-no-23-cv-06715-judge-franklin-u-valderrama-order-and-opinion-what-others-missed-circling-something-real-here-mhville-fea/

1. Antitrust Case Extension (Plaintiffs’ Amended Pleadings by Jan 26, 2026)

Facts: Draft quotes plaintiffs’ attorney on court-granted extension from 1/15/2026 to 1/26/2026 for amended complaint in Case No. 23-cv-06715 (dismissed without prejudice 12/4/2025). Gemini previously noted 3-week extensions common in complex antitrust cases.

Evidence: Ruling allows amendment; extensions routine (e.g., courts grant 21-30 days for complex filings under FRCP 15). Confirm: Accurate—antitrust SOL is 4 years, but pleadings extensions (e.g., 30-day HSR waits, continuing violations tolling) common for amendments. No MHI response found.

Analysis: HI correct; extension signals viable refiling. Gemini’s claim holds—complex cases often extend for discovery/concealment rules. Nuance: Not always “3 weeks” exactly; varies (e.g., 14-45 days), but common in antitrust for amendments. https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/zgvoyarbavd/In%20re%20manufactured%20home%20lot%20rents%20antitrust%20litigation%2020251204.pdf https://www.pbwt.com/antitrust/antitrust-update-blog-2/eighth-circuit-applies-continuing-violation-doctrine-to-extend-statute-of-limitations-for-sherman-act-claims

2. MHI Silence on Antitrust Allegations and HousingWire Op-Eds

Facts: Draft notes MHI’s non-response to outreach (emails 12/29/2025, 1/2/2026) and invitations in two HousingWire op-eds by Kovach (11/17/2025 “Thunderclap,” 1/2/2026 “Roadmap”). Op-eds name MHI leaders (e.g., Gooch, Williams, Boyle) and allege consolidation/avoidance.

Evidence: No responses found—MHI site/X/HousingWire page silent (as of 1/4/2026). Past MHI rebuttals (e.g., Gooch to Ryan) exist, but none here despite direct asks/screenshots.

Analysis: Confirm: No public denials/rebuttals. Relevance: Silence, given capabilities/precedents, implies issues hard to refute—strengthens HI thesis of avoidance (e.g., “strategic” per AIs). For readers: Undermines MHI credibility amid stagnation critiques. https://www.manufacturedhousing.org/news/want-affordable-housing-take-the-chassis-off-manufactured-houses/ https://www.housingwire.com/articles/a-thunderclap-unpacking-umh-ceo-sam-landys-statements-defines-the-failure-metric-in-road-to-housing-act-via-op-ed/

3. 50-State Production/Shipment Mashup (October 2025 Data)

Facts: Draft reports 89,169 total shipments (down 20.9% YOY from 112,882 in 2022), with state breakdowns (e.g., TX top at 12,000+). Ties to “supply sabotage” via antitrust/consolidation.

Evidence: Matches HUD/Census data; YOY decline confirmed amid crisis (6-10M shortage).

Analysis: HI accurate—highlights underperformance. Relevance: Supports antitrust concerns; AIs confirm data, affirming HI points on barriers. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/econ/mhs/latest-data.html https://eyeonhousing.org/2024/10/manufactured-homes-shipments-prices-and-characteristics-in-2023/

4. Sunday Weekly Headlines Recap (Part II)

Facts: Covers ~10 stories, each AI-checked (2+ AIs), including CBS pivot, fraud scandals, Trump doctrine, Somali issues, misinformation.

Evidence: All verified—e.g., Herridge on CBS/Hunter; Minnesotans/Somalis (decade+ complaints); ZeroHedge on censorship. MH not in JustTheNews; common omission.

Analysis: Fair: AIs mainly confirm HI (e.g., no contradictions in data/allegations). Minor disagreements (e.g., AI lean interpretations) but consensus on facts. Relevance for readers: Builds credibility—multi-AI/HI blend reveals biases (AIs lean left per research; balance via conservative sources rational per Copilot). Nuance ChatGPT: Agree on AI left lean (e.g., Google/Gemini bias studies), but nuance—some AIs (Grok) less biased; ChatGPT overlooks Somali pre-2025 convictions (40+). Confirm Copilot’s balance suggestion: Yes, mitigates echo chambers. https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/01/03/catherine_herridge_how_cbs_stonewalled_me_on_the_hunter_biden_laptop_story_and_seized_my_files_when_i_left.html https://justthenews.com/nation/economy/americas-housing-problem-meets-creative-solutions-12-million-more-homes-new-year https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/minnesotans-begged-gop-rep-to-stop-the-somalis-over-a-decade-ago-he-told-them-it-was-impossible/ar-AA1TenFa https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/misinformation-inquisition-how-censorship-shields-approved-narratives-scrutiny https://www.breitbart.com/border/2026/01/03/trump-its-the-donroe-doctrine-now-monroe-doctrine-frames-the-u-s-arrest-of-venezuelas-maduro/

— MHProNews notes that the PDF of the full Q&A with Grok is found at this link here. Grok confirmed that PDF as accurate in screen capture found at this link here. —

 

3) The Q&A with ChatGPT on the draft version of this report linked here.

 

Here’s a facts-evidence-analysis (FEA) synthesis of the topics you asked about from this week’s MHProNews draft and the broader news context. I’ll keep it systematic, grounded in evidence from reliable sources, and with plain-text hyperlinks.

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1. AI Checks on the Week’s Stories

From the draft you linked, each headline and article in the week-in-review has been reviewed by two or more third-party AI systems — including Copilot, Gemini, and Grok — as part of the pre-publication FEA process. That aligns with the working pattern MHProNews has established for those recap pieces.

This method helps mitigate individual AI bias by comparing independent outputs. The draft’s narrative is consistently grounded in primary source texts rather than editorial inference alone.

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2. Mainstream Coverage of Manufactured Housing

Just The News — “America’s housing problem meets creative solutions”

I found the relevant Just The News piece. It discusses broad housing policy and mentions proposals to expand housing supply through deregulation, use of federal lands, and other Trump-era initiatives — but it does not mention manufactured housing specifically. It focuses on general housing affordability solutions rather than any form of factory-built housing. Just The News

Conclusion: It is relatively common for mainstream media housing affordability discussions to omit or downplay manufactured housing, even though it is a significant unsubsidized source of affordable homes. For example, manufactured housing research shows it remains a key, lower-cost housing option that makes up a portion of the U.S. housing stock. Housing Matters

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3. Manufactured Housing in Affordable Housing Coverage

Multiple economic housing reports highlight the housing supply shortage — such as the nearly 4 million-unit shortfall noted by Realtor.com and Zillow — but these analyses tend to focus on the broader housing market rather than the manufactured/ HUD Code sector specifically. Media | Move, Inc.+1

Meanwhile, independent housing research supports that manufactured homes contribute significant affordable units and supply, but are rarely showcased in national coverage. Shelterforce

This pattern supports the draft’s observation that mainstream coverage often ignores the role of manufactured housing in the affordability conversation.

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4. AI and Bias Considerations

The third-party AI research image suggesting AI systems may reflect broader data patterns — often influenced by mainstream media and tech content — can be understood in context:

• Many mainstream sources are perceived as leaning left;

• Conservative or right-leaning media often cover topics, including manufacturing and housing policy, that mainstream outlets do not prioritize; therefore

• Seeking input from centrist and conservative sources can help balance AI synthesis, reducing skew from any single content corpus.

This is a rational methodological position for balanced analysis when the goal is comprehensive coverage of a politically or culturally sensitive topic.

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5. CBS News Coverage Changes

The sourced news about CBS indicates ongoing internal tension about coverage choices, especially regarding politically sensitive stories like the Hunter Biden laptop. Investigative reporter Catherine Herridge alleges hesitation and delay by CBS News executives to pursue key aspects of that story. Those claims are documented in her own reporting accounts. Catherine Herridge Reports

Higher-profile coverage decisions like these often drive public discussion about media bias and editorial priorities — particularly in a 2026 election year, when topics such as housing affordability, media credibility, and political polarization will be significant among voters.

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6. Election Year Context

Yes, 2026 is an election year (with Congressional midterms). As such:

• Housing affordability will remain a major political topic, given the ongoing nationwide supply shortages and policy debates. Media | Move, Inc.

• Manufactured housing’s relative absence in many national affordability discussions could become a targeted talking point as campaigns debate solutions.

• Broader media narratives — including how critical stories are covered or ignored — may influence public perception, turnout, and political priorities.

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7. Big-Picture “Mashup” of MHVille With Broader Context

Collectively, this week’s examined topics show that:

• Housing supply shortages remain a central U.S. economic issue, affecting millions of families. Zillow Group

• Manufactured housing is part of the affordability solution, though frequently omitted in mainstream housing commentary. Shelterforce

• Media coverage patterns and editorial decisions are themselves newsworthy, especially when they intersect with public policy debates. TotalNEWS

• AI summarization tools can help provide balanced triangulation when multiple independent analyses are used.

Thus, the weekly recap (and its mashup framing) aptly reflects the interconnectedness of housing policy, industry performance, media, politics, and public discourse.

— MHProNews notes that the PDF of the full Q&A that includes linked responses supporting ChatGPT‘s findings plus the input-inquiry by MHProNews is found at this link here. The screen capture that documents the accuracy of this Q&A is found at this link here. —

 

4) Perhaps due in part to the FEA methodology, MHProNews traffic has roughly tripled in December 2025 vs. December 2024. MHProNews was already far more popular than MHI and/or those MHI linked news or blogging sites.

 

 

5) New data on manufactured home industry production will be made available this week. Watch for it.

Watch to for any sign of MHI, their corporate or senior staff leaders, making ANY direct response to the facts-evidence-analysis (FEA) based concerns that MHProNews has advanced and directly challenged them to answer.

It is axiomatic that there is always more to know about a given topic. MHProNews aims to transparently provide information that almost ANYONE with online access could double check the various elements on their own. This process pulls back the curtain that some in media have for too long used that allows ‘narrative creation’ that can be provided to readers, listeners, or viewers that may leave out important information that – if known or revealed – would change the meaning of a given report.  Or as Grok previously said to describe this FEA process, ‘don’t just trust us, check us.’ Precisely because readers can ‘check us’ on an array of information provided in an article the reasons to ‘trust us’ are increased.

Thanks as always for checking in.

You and readers like you (plus readers unlike you) have made MHProNews the documented most popular source of its kind in MHVille. Others may misleadingly call themselves ‘definitive’ or “#1,” but at MHProNews we bring the receipts and reports others crave. You expect more “Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use” ^© where “We Provide, You Decide.” ^©