A Word From the State Execs

MHInsider asked the directors from three state associations across the country what types of labor challenges their members are facing, as well as what is being done in the area of exclusionary zoning. Here is what manufactured housing advocates from Arizona, Wisconsin, and Indiana had to say.

»1 What kind of work is being done at the local government level to address exclusionary zoning and other practice that prohibit manufactured homes?

Ken Anderson, president of the Manufactured Housing Industry of Arizona:

We have begun conversations with our Arizona lobby team to develop language for a bill to improve zoning for manufactured homes throughout the state. Taking on one city or town (as we have in the past) is very difficult. To date, we have the cities of Phoenix and Tucson approved for MH, but few others. To bypass this laborious task we would require approval from the state legislature and the governor. There would be strong opposition from the League of Cities and Towns, which means the process could take three to four years. Our plan would be to develop strong specifications for both installation and aesthetics to gain acceptance with the legislature while keeping an eye on affordability.

Amy Bliss, executive director of the Wisconsin Housing Alliance:

The Wisconsin Housing Alliance hired an attorney that specializes in municipal and county government issues, to draft a “Model Zoning Ordinance.” The goal is to have an ordinance that municipalities can use to update their terminology and replace outdated stereotypical language that was really meant to eliminate single-section homes in subdivisions. They do not necessarily want to eliminate today’s new manufactured homes. It will also update ordinances regarding manufactured home communities. Many municipalities have not looked at updating their ordinances since the early 1970s and will welcome the assistance without paying fees for their own attorney. There has been a great deal of research that indicates there is a critical need for the “missing middle” homes in Wisconsin and the manufactured and modular housing industry needs to seize on this opportunity.

Ron Breymier, executive director of the Indiana Manufactured Housing Association:

Indiana has seen local ordinances adopted that establish new minimum square foot requirements for homes intended to move into established land lease communities. This made it impossible to replace older smaller manufactured homes with homes that fit the lots built for smaller homes. In 2021 the Indiana MHA was instrumental in passing a law that prohibits local units of government from enforcing existing or adopting new ordinances that place minimum square foot requirements for homes going into land lease communities. The law also allows the placement of modular duplex homes for workforce and elderly housing to be placed in land lease communities.

»2 Nationwide, the availability of labor is a major concern -- are there any programs underway that do a good job to communicate the value of the trades in particular, as well as other professions, in our industry? Ken Anderson:

Near the end of 2020, the MHIA Executive Committee met to review how we could best serve the industry and our members in 2021. Because of the deep backlogs affecting every segment of our membership, especially given the shortage of the manufacturer labor force, we decided to develop a program to assist in recruitment. We established a committee of manufacturer general managers, their human resource managers, members of our executive committee and MHIA staff to develop the program. The intent was to supplement existing programs in place by the manufacturers. We began with the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce with social media program called Built Your Future Arizona (BYF) which offered a website specifically for construction sector job postings. Each of our manufacturers listed job opportunities with the respondents communicating directly with the respective HR staff. We then began our own social media program tied to MHIA's website, attracting additional applicants. Since we launched this program we have had over 300 responses forwarded to our four manufacturing facilities in Arizona. In the near future, we will add a direct mail campaign to target residents who live within a one-mile radius of each plant.

Amy Bliss:

We have a very good network of community colleges that have trade programs to teach the building trades. They are the best solution to getting younger people into this industry and all related industries. There are also some state grant pro-

grams to help students obtain their commercial driver’s license (CDL) which is a huge need nationwide.

Ron Breymier:

There has been an increase in local ordinances that prohibit the replacement of manufactured homes on lots in land lease communities if the lots have been vacant for more than six months. Indiana’s association is drafting legislation for introduction in the 2022 General Assembly to prohibit enforcement of existing ordinances or adopting new ordinances that prohibit the placement of manufactured homes in land lease communities regardless of the amount of time a lot has been vacant. In a time when there is an affordable housing crisis, local government should not have restrictions that make it impossible to use manufactured housing as a solution for providing quality-built attainable homes for consumers.

»3 What type of state or regional issues are keeping you busy currently?

Amy Bliss:

The biggest issue for our retail and manufacturer members is material price increases. In Wisconsin, a retailer cannot increase the price of a home after the purchase contract is signed. Unfortunately, manufacturers and retailers do not have agreements that lock the price so the retailers are often selling more homes but losing money on the sale after absorbing the price increase. It is a tough problem to solve all around. Another concern that has been keeping us busy is the failing infrastructure in communities. Between failing private septic systems and lead service lines for water, many communities are simply closing rather than upgrading their infrastructure. I would love to see community owners plan ahead for the replacement which is inevitable. These are big-ticket items and we are looking for options for state grant funding to assist. I’m hoping that with the implementation of the new infrastructure package there will be funds available to preserve manufactured home communities. MHV

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