Technology is Key Component at the Manufactured Housing Institute

Advocacy TECHNOLOGY IS A KEY COMPONENT AT THE MANUFACTURED HOUSING INSTITUTE

by Ellen Savage

TThe onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led all industries, including manufactured housing, to use technology in new ways. At the

Manufactured Housing Institute, technology has brought new ways to engage our members and serve the industry.

The pandemic posed immediate logistical and economic challenges to our members and the homeowners and residents they serve.

It was imperative for MHI to advocate for our industry’s needs to ensure opportunities for growth, which posed challenges amid government shutdowns and social distancing.

MHI launched a COVID-19 landing page on our website to support not only our members, but any company in the industry looking for resources to help guide their team members through the crisis.

MHI worked with the White House, the

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

Development, and Congress to ensure the inclusion of manufactured housing in federal economic stimulus packages. MHI successfully advocated, along with other housing industry leaders, to ensure residential construction, including factory-built housing, was included on the Department of Homeland Security’s essential workforce infrastructure list.

All MHI’s advocacy work was done virtually.

Although it was a new way of conducting business with lawmakers, their staffs, and government agencies, virtual advocacy has had benefits. MHI members and state association executives have been able to join MHI’s policy team in meetings on short notice and without having to travel. And on every Zoom call,

MHI’s staff used virtual backgrounds showing manufactured homes and communities, resulting in policymakers not only hearing about manufactured homes, but seeing them as well.

While in-person meetings were canceled, MHI ensured industry members have opportunities to learn, network, and grow. One example is MHI’s webinar series, designed to share information and best practices across all aspects of the industry. Topics have included the federal eviction moratorium and emergency rental assistance, what retailers need to know about manufactured home financing, and how supply chain demands and labor shortages are impacting new manufactured home availability.

Instead of hosting our traditional in-person Winter Meeting in 2021, MHI reformatted the event to bring members together virtually to discuss topics of interest across all industry segments. Attendees were able to participate in an open forum with their peers to ask questions, share strategies and learn from each other. The virtual format allowed for participation from those who would not have been able to attend an in-person meeting due to schedule, budget, or other constraints.

We implemented monthly virtual meetups for state association executives. MHI shares its work at the federal level and across the industry, and state executives share details about opportunities and challenges in their states and best practices to address them, share tactics and help set priorities for MHI.

Manufactured housing professionals were able to complete training and certification online through the Manufactured Housing Educational Institute. While MHEI offered online training before the pandemic started, in the past year it virtually trained almost 500 certified manufactured home installers, double the number of the previous year. MHEI now offers installer training courses in 20 states. In addition, MHEI provides training for HUD installers and inspectors who seek »

certification. It also offers an Accredited Community Manager designation and recently re-launched its Professional Housing Consultant designation with an updated training program to help retailers increase sales and improve the customer experience. All MHEI’s courses are offered virtually, which allows professionals to train when it is most convenient for them and at their own pace.

Tech Updates for Member Experience

MHI is exploring how technology can help us further engage our members. We are beta-testing an interactive map which provides zoning information at the state and county level. We will make the map available to MHI members on our website and continuously update it to provide insight into the impact of zoning regulations on manufactured housing. We believe it will be a useful tool for companies in the industry and will also help illustrate to policymakers areas which are welcoming to the affordable housing opportunities provided by manufactured housing.

MHI recently completed a technology assessment with a consultant to evaluate our current technology and create a roadmap to help us better serve our members. We have already implemented some enhancements. MHI’s website can now accept donations to our Political Action Committee, which supports our policy efforts. We used a new software platform for the annual Excellence in Manufactured Housing Awards that simplified the submission and voting processes and allowed entrants to include more photos and videos to support their submissions. As of this writing, we are creating a video to showcase the award winners and highlight their accomplishments. MHI plans to use the video to announce the winners and will continue to use it throughout the year to recognize the best in class across our industry.

Investment in technology continues to be a priority for MHI. We are investigating new software to streamline our website login and event registration processes so members receive quicker access to what they need. We plan to increase our use of photos and video to highlight the design and innovation of our members’ products. We know that the next best thing to touring manufactured homes in person is to see photos or video of our members’ homes and communities. Seeing the modern aesthetic, layouts, and amenities of today’s manufactured homes and communities helps dispel misconceptions and outdated perceptions about our industry and creates opportunities for manufactured housing to flourish.

As the only national trade organization representing all segments of the factory-built housing industry, MHI is committed to providing our members with the tools they need to thrive. Technology is becoming increasingly critical to support our members, and MHI is prepared. MHV

Ellen Savage is the vice president of member engagement at the Manufactured Housing Institute where she leads member communications, events, and education.

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