Blog Posting # 657 @ 24 September 2021: Educatemhc
Perspective. ‘Land lease communities, previously manufactured home communities, and earlier, ‘mobile home parks’, comprise the real estate component of manufactured housing!’
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INTRODUCTION: Follow up to last week’s blog message: CALL TO ACTION! Surprised by strong positive response, so here we go again! AND, since we’re talking about change these days, for the first time in public, here’re the changes I recommended, upon requests from peers, earlier this year.
I.
CALL TO ACTION – AGAIN!
Wow! More folk read, and now respond, to this weekly blog posting than ever before. So I’ll revisit the subject again this week.
What triggered responses to the CALL TO ACTION blog posting? Best I could tell, ‘reading between the lines’, so to speak, was this short paragraph from blog # 656:
“…I think the time has come for our national advocates; specifically, the Manufactured Housing Institute (‘MHI’) and its’ National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division; along with others, to once-and-for-all, address troublesome matters foisted on land lease communities by real estate investors (a.k.a. consolidators) from outside (& within) our realty asset class. There are at least two upcoming events, one virtual, and the other in-person (so far), where these matters would make for appropriate and timely topics for group presentation and discussion.”
Then I went on to describe the soon SECO 21 Conference, 27 September – 1 October. This annual ‘by owners for owners’ event, in its’ 11th year, expects to draw 600 attendees. For more info, visit secoconference2021.
To this I’ll simply add: I’m scheduled to present the annual State of the MHIndustry & LLCommunity Asset Class around Noon that day. Will do my best to leave time then to address this timely and critical matter if SECO attendees express their desire to do so.
Then I described how, “…from 8-10 November, MHI’s NCC division will host its annual Leadership Forum, billed as ‘The only strategic executive level event of the year.’ To be held in downtown Chicago. For more info, visit manufacturedhousing.org/events.” But don’t expect to find me there, as I have not been invited to be a presenter on any land lease community topic.
OK, I’ve now done what several of you (‘responders’) asked me to do; to revisit this CALL TO ACTION! And as I penned before; will be interesting to see/hear if our elected and salaried national leaders rise to this challenge of addressing contemporary and evergreen issues in our behalf. Doing so will send one message; not doing so will send just the opposite. Which will it be?
II.
AN MHI/NCC MAKEOVER
Very early this year, when I made my plans to retire known, I was approached by several executives from the manufacturing and community segments of our industry. They asked me to draft ‘Suggestions to Improve Manufactured Housing & Land Lease Community Matters at the Manufactured Housing Institute (‘MHI’)’ I did so, and here, for the first time in public, are those suggestions in three parts: Overall, Manufacturers Division, & NCC Division.
OVERALL
Debate and effect needed changes to manufacturer and NCC divisions with the goal of ensuring ‘equal voice (votes) and representation’ among all MHIndustry segments at MHI meetings.
Decide whether to expand focus of MHI from ‘just lobbying’ to include research and distribution of business-related statistics, and several specialized directories re: manufacturers, land lease community owners/operators, lenders. (Note. This statement is a precursor to the anticipated demise of the ALLEN REPORT and a dozen Resource Documents at the end of year 2021)
Make MHI Membership Directory (online) accessible to all inquirers.
MANUFACTURERS DIVISION
Divide manufacturers division into two distinct groups; one comprised of largest firms (e.g. Big 3-C firms), and other comprised of smaller, regional firms – with both groups having equal say and voting power.
Floor fee distribution. Perhaps less $ to MHI and more to state MH associations if/when they actively promote manufactured housing, e.g. as in the state of Michigan, and SECO Conference.
Demonstrate unity with IBST, HUD, MHARR & EducateMHC by reporting monthly MH shipment statistics in the same manner. (Note. This should be the easiest of all changes to effect)
NATIONAL COMMUNITIES COUNCIL (‘NCC’) DIVISION
Divide NCC division into two distinct groups; one comprised of property portfolio firms (i.e. minimum size of 500 rental homesites in one or more properties), the other comprised of sole proprietor and corporate owners with fewer than 500 rental homesites in one or more properties.
Overtly promote professional property management via training and certification, e.g. CPM, ACM, & MHM programs. (Note. Still my belief all on-site property managers should be MHMs; all regional and executive managers should be ACMs, and top executives should be Certified Property Managers under the auspices of IREM – and their firms designated as AMOs (Approved Management Organizations), again, by IREM).
Allow proxy voting during division’s annual meeting and election of officers.
Write NCC Code of Ethics into NCC bylaws and enforce same, especially where predatory landlord practices are concerned. (Note. Mimic how IREM handles violations of their Code of Ethics via committee and public mention in their trade publication).
Assign an MHI staffer with the primary responsibility of serving NCC members needs – like it used to be between years 1996 and 2009. (Note. To not do so demonstrates we have accomplished little since years 1993 and 1996)
George Allen, CPM, MHM
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