Keeping America’s Dream Affordable
THA Mission:
To promote and protect the manufactured housing industry in Tennessee!
Your legislative, regulatory, and educational voice for the factory built industry in Tennessee.
THA Board of Director, Lori Sechrest
of ‘On The Level’ … passed away Monday evening,
June 25th. The Association will continue its work
to raise money for Lori’s last medical treatments
and other expenses.
Please click on the ‘GoFundMe’ icon above,
to read more of the original story,
and to donate!
Thank you in advance!
Proud Member of the
Next Board of Director’s Meeting:
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Perdido Beach Resort
Orange Beach, Alabama
Multi-State Convention
AL-LA-MS-TN
Installer/Retailer
Click: 2018 Class Schedule
You must be registered in advance of the class. No walk-ins.
ENERGY STAR Tax Credit Extended (Retroactively) Through 2017
Emanuel Levy, Executive Director
The federal budget recently passed by Congress and signed by the President contained at least one pleasant surprise—the $1000 per home tax credit for manufacturers that build ENERGY STAR homes was extended retroactively through 2017.
Once again, if you had faith that the tax credit would be extended, you were rewarded. It’s a familiar story that keeps repeating itself: Congress waits until the end of the year to extend the tax credit retroactively, making it impossible for manufacturers to count on the credit before they decide to qualify homes for the ENERGY STAR label. However, keep this in mind: the credit, first passed over a decade ago, has never lapsed.
Need help qualifying homes completed in 2017 for the tax credit? Contact Gwynne Koch (GKoch@Research-Alliance.org) with the Systems Building Research Alliance (SBRA) for assistance.
What about 2018? Will the credit be extended again through the end of this year? We cannot be certain but year after year extending the tax credit has been a priority for both parties in Congress. And, in the coming weeks, SBRA will announce ENERGY STAR changes that will make it easier to qualify homes for the ENERGY STAR label. Watch this space for details!
MHI announces a partnership with WeatherCall Services, LLC, to provide HazardCall for MHI Communities. (Please go to that link to watch a brief video to learn more.) This important, affordable service saves lives and gives property owners peace of mind.
HazardCall is different from anything else on the market because it calls your residents, as well as sending them texts and emails when dangerous and impactful weather is headed for their specific location. Your residents receive specific instructions on what to do, such as “seek the best shelter immediately.” Most notifications from weather apps go unnoticed, but HazardCall’s urgent phone calls are designed to disrupt the recipient so they will take immediate life-saving action…. CLICK HERE, for more information!
Tennessee Housing Association
P. O. Box 569
Mount Juliet, TN 37121
Ship to:
1002 Meb Court, Suite B
Mount Juliet, TN 37122
615/256-4733, ofc
615/255-8869, fax
THA Directors, Members and Staff
Visit our Congressional Leaders
In Washington
On June 25 – 26, 2018, THA joined other industry associations from across the nation, as we convened for the 2018 MHI Legislative Fly-In. Members spent time expressing our sincerest appreciation to the Congressional leaders which supported, co-sponsored and helped to pass Dodd-Frank relief legislation.
As well, the industry asked our leaders to write HUD Secretary Carson and ask the Secretary to expedite HUD’s regulatory review of its manufactured housing rules and make necessary changes.
Two additional requests included contacting the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection’s Acting Director, Mick Mulvaney, and ask him to 1) Expedite any steps required to finalize the revisions to the Bureau’s definition of a mortgage loan originator, so it is consistent with the amended definition under S.2155; and 2) Use the Bureau’s authority under the Dodd-Frank Act to provide more flexibility with respect to HOEPA thresh-holds, which have caused some lenders to stop making or significantly limit financing for manufactured homes.
Many thanks to those Representative offices which took the time to see us on this trip! We have a few photos below, but we want to ensure we properly thank Representative John J. Duncan, Representative Charles J. Fleischmann, Representative David Kustoff, the Office of Representative Diane Black, and Representative Marsha Blackburn.
(June 26) THA presented TN Representative Charles J. Fleischmann with MHI’s 2018 Champion of Homeownership Award, for his continued efforts on behalf of the industry, as well as being instrumental in passing S.2155. Representative Fleischmann is a supporter of manufactured housing, representing the 3rd District of Tennessee. The 3rd district is comprised of 11 counties: Anderson, Bradley, Campbell, Hamilton, McMinn, Monroe, Morgan, Polk, Roane, Scott and Union.
(June 26) THA also presented Representative David Kustoff with MHI’s 2018 Champion of Home Ownership Award! In his first term of office, Representative Kustoff stepped right up to co-sponsor industry legislation and was a huge facilitator in getting S.2155 language passed. He understands the critical importance of our role in meeting the nation’s housing needs. Representative Kustoff represents Tennessee’s 8th District in West Tennessee, which currently includes most of the western third of the state and borders Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Kentucky, with local offices in Martin, Dyersburg, Jackson and Memphis.
(June 26) THA wanted to thank Representative Marsha Blackburn for her continued support of our industry. Representative Blackburn has championed causes for our industry for many years, and also was instrumental in working to see our language in S. 2155 passed, as well as being a co-sponsor in the House.
Congress Passes Bill Giving Industry Relief from the Dodd-Frank Act
(May 22, 2018) The U.S. House of Representatives (House) has passed legislation clarifying that a manufactured housing retailer or seller is not inappropriately considered a mortgage “loan originator” simply because they provide a customer with some assistance in the mortgage loan process. This provision was included in S. 2155, the “Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act,” a package of reforms intended to improve the national financial regulatory framework and promote economic growth. S. 2155 passed the House on Tuesday by a strong bipartisan vote of 228-159. With S. 2155 already passed by the U.S. Senate in March, this legislation is now headed to the President’s desk for signature.
Congratulations to MHI, State Executive Directors, industry members, partners, affiliates and especially to each of our legislative champions, for their tireless work in getting this issue passed.
Governor Bill Haslam Proclaims
June 2018 as
Manufactured Housing Month!
Print the full Proclamation Here,
to display in your office!
[Click: June is also Homeownership Month]
TN State Legislative Session Concludes for 2018
The 110th General Assembly adjourned sine die on Wednesday April 25th, 2018. Legislators worked late into the night to approve outstanding bills and reconcile differences in legislation between the houses. Just before 11:00pm, both the Senate and House notified the Governor that they had completed their business for the year. The 111th General Assembly will gavel in on Tuesday, January 8th, 2019. The full House and half of the Senate will face reelection this fall. 27 current members have already announced that they will not seek reelection. The next Governor of Tennessee will also be elected this fall. Below is a look at a few general highlights of this legislative session.
Budget for FY 18-19
On April 19, the House and Senate agreed to the coming fiscal year’s $37.5 billion budget. The budget includes $460 million for capital construction, a $55 million increase in a teacher salary pool, school security initiatives, increased spending on higher education, and a $136 million increase in TennCare spending. The House of Representatives held the budget on the last day of session, but after negotiations regarding teacher accountability and student testing, they released it back to be signed by Governor Haslam.
Tax Decoupling
Both chambers unanimously passed a measure to decouple Tennessee federal interest deductible limits. The TN Chamber of Commerce supported the bill, testifying before legislative committees that it would make Tennessee more business friendly and competitive nationally. The Senate sponsor, Senator John Stevens explained the bill will alter limitations on interest deduction and income deriving from capital contributions. The legislation worked to improve Tennessee’s tax structures in response to the Tax Cut and Jobs Act which President Trump signed into law in December.
School Safety
In March, Governor Haslam created the School Safety Working Group, a 16-person task force dedicated to reviewing school safety in Tennessee. He later added $30 million of funding to his proposal for the budget, including a one-time $25 million grant. Additionally, the House and Senate both unanimously passed the “School Safety Act of 2018”, championed by Senator Mark Green and Representative Micah Van Huss, which allows local education agencies to hire off-duty law enforcement officers as armed school security officers.
Work Requirements for Medicaid
Speaker Beth Harwell and Senator Kerry Roberts sponsored legislation this session which set work requirements for “able bodied” people receiving Medicaid benefits. The legislation – SB 1728/HB 1551 – passed the Senate 23-2, and the House 72-23. The legislation requires TennCare request a waiver from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to impose work requirements to be eligible for TennCare. The waiver would require able-bodied adults, without children under the age of six… to work, volunteer, or attend school. Governor Haslam is expected to sign the bill into law.