Blog Posting # 859; Copyright 19 September 2025. EducateMHC
Know this! HUD-Code manufactured housing (‘MH’) is federally-regulated, performance-based, affordable-attainable, factory-built housing (a.k.a. one of four types of offsite construction: manufactured, modular, panelized housing & Park Model RVs), routinely paired with traditional stick-built housing (a.k.a. onsite construction). Plus, land lease communities 9a.k.a. manufactured home communities & ‘mobile home parks’) comprise the commercial real estate (‘CRE’) component of MH. Various types of housing finance (e.g. chattel or ‘home only’ loans, and real estate mortgages constitute the post-production segment of MH.
EducateMHC is an official MH historian, trade term & trend tracker, as well as perennial MH information source! Contact EducateMHC via (317) 881-3815; email gfa7156@aol.com, and www.eduatemhc.com, to purchase Community Management in the Manufactured Housing Industry (This book belongs in every land lease community nationwide!), and SWAN SONG –History of land lease communities official record of annual MH production totals since 1955
And my autobiography, From SmittyAlpha6 to MHMaven, describes personal combat adventures in Vietnam as a USMC lieutenant, a 45 year entrepreneur business career in MH & community ownership, as well as freelance consulting and authoring of 20 nonfiction texts.
George Allen is the sole emeritus member of the Manufactured Housing Institute (‘MHI’), a founding board member of MHI’s National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division, RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrine, Allen Legacy columnist & editor at large for the popular MHInsider magazine.
SECO & I’m HOME Network’s Menu of Policies
What happened when 350 manufactured housing aficionados and 100+ ROC homeowners/site lessees socialized and met together in Atlanta, GA during 8-11 September 2025? Well, they talked and learned together about their common interests, living in HUD-Code manufactured homes and residency in land lease communities. Specifically, this was a ‘first time ever’ coming together of the annual SECO Conference and Lincoln Institute of Land Policy’s I’m HOME Network.
Many I’m HOME Network attendees participated in an evening reception, and visiting five new HUD-Code homes on display in the Renaissance Hotel’s outdoor parking area. The next day, several SECO folk sat in on I’m HOME Network’s Menu of Policies panel presentation and lively discussions. What follows here is a potpourri of observations and extracts from selected writings I reviewed during the sessions.
Trade Terminology. This was an important topic among the I’m HOME folk. While panelists made a concerted effort to take the high road in this area, there still were errant references to ‘parks’ and ‘park-communities’, but not many. One handout, ‘Words Matter: How Terminology Shapes Policy for Manufactured Home Communities (‘MHCs’)’ went into detail recommending use of ‘manufactured home’, not ‘mobile home’ or ‘trailer’, and why ‘manufactured home community’ is favored over ‘park’. Since the majority of I’m HOME attendees appeared to be from ROCs (‘resident-owned communities’), they preferred ‘landowner’, ‘ business owner’ or ‘stakeholder’ rather than ‘park owner’, even ‘community owner’. I suggested, during discussion, a few more clarifying terms, e.g. resident, not tenant; rental homesites, not lots, spaces or stalls; and ‘independent (street) MHRetailers’ – or simply MHRetailers, not ‘dealers’.
Yet another interesting handout was the preview copy of Lincoln Institute’s ‘State Policy Handbook’ for manufactured housing, a.k.a. Playbook & Menu of Policies – September 2025.
Goal 1. Expanding the Market and Creating Affordable Housing Supply via reforming of zoning and land use policies for manufactured homes; replacement of substandard housing with new, efficient units; and, provide financing and other support for new home development using manufactured homes.
Goal 2. Improving Home Financing Options via allowing broader access to mortgages by making it easier to title manufactured homes as real estate; and, supporting manufactured housing through state first-time homebuyer programs.
Goal 3. Preserving Existing Affordable Housing via ensuring manufactured home community (‘MHC’) residents have the opportunity to purchase their community when it is for sale; supporting the preservation of MHCs, including new ROCs, through state financing and grand programs; Improving public data collection and disclosure on manufactured home communities; including MHCs in state and local affordable housing analyses and planning processes; and, strengthening minimum lease protections in communities.
Within each of the three stated goals, Lincoln Institute writers provided researched and learned details as to how to accomplish said goals. The fact that these matters are being articulated in a quasi-academic fashion suggests, to me anyway, that continued refinement of this State Policy Handbook for Manufactured Housing will garner deeper and serious interest on the part of government agencies, NGOs (non-government organizations), even the manufactured housing business industry itself. (Is anyone at MHI & MHARR paying attention to this cooperative effort?)
So, what else happened at this SECO/I’m HOME Network forum? More than I can tell you here. But I did suggest a couple measures to consider in promoting the above goals:
- I’m HOME Network should make its’ presence and work better known throughout the manufactured housing industry, as well as local and national government offices, by dint of regular, professionally-penned PRESS RELEASES. At present, few know the I’m HOME Network exists, let alone what it is doing now and in the future.
- Research and publish the first formal glossary or directory of MH trade terminology. Invite the manufactured housing industry (e.g. MHI, MHARR, & MHInsider magazine) to participate in such a project.
What will you do to help further this blooming cooperation between the manufactured housing industry – including land lease communities, and the SECO team, as well as folk at I’m HOME Network at the Lincoln Institute? Your input is always welcome: gfa7156@aol.com
George Allen