Tennessee Housing Association Annual Conference
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MHI Applauds House Passage of H.R. 5184, the Affordable HOME
As reported by MHI...
On Friday, January 9th (2026), the House of Representatives made a crucial advancement in resolving the duplicative regulatory oversight of manufactured home energy efficiency standards by passing H.R. 5184, the Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards (Affordable HOMES) Act with a bipartisan vote of 263-147. The passage of this bill is a victory for the American homebuyer and expands access to attainable, quality housing options while ensuring energy-efficient updates will be data-driven, cost-effective and achievable.
The repeal of Section 413 from the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) unlocks long-awaited progress by ending years of regulatory paralysis, restoring the Department of Energy’s (DOE) role to an advisory capacity and reaffirming the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as the final authority on manufactured housing standards which is consistent with Congress’s original intent when it established the HUD Code.
“Today’s manufactured homes are built with advanced, factory-controlled processes and often exceed the energy efficiency of site-built homes. Modern manufactured homes are built to high energy performance standards, with over 50% of new manufactured homes being ENERGY STAR certified and all exceeding current HUD efficiency standards. The industry has consistently advocated for meaningful updates to enhanced energy standards that appropriately reflect the unique characteristics of manufactured housing. Restoring a streamlined, effective regulatory framework under HUD will advance those goals and deliver lasting impacts across affordability, energy efficiency and housing access nationwide,” said Dr. Lesli Gooch, CEO of MHI. “We, alongside Americans pursuing homeownership, thank Rep. Erin Houchin (IN-09) and Rep. Jake Auchincloss (MA-04) for their bipartisan leadership and support, and we commend the House of Representatives for passing H.R. 5184, a critical step to achieving the dream of owning a home.”
“As demand for affordable homes has surged, so have unnecessary costs, making the dream of homeownership slip further out of reach for Americans. The Affordable HOMES Act takes a practical approach by cutting red tape and regulations that contribute to pricing American families out of owning a home, which will increase supply and lower costs,” said Rep. Houchin. “I’m proud to see the House take an important step toward restoring the American Dream with the passage of this bill.”
In addition to Rep. Houchin and Rep. Auchincloss, MHI would like to recognize and thank the other representatives who spoke on behalf of the bill on the floor: Rep. Chuck Edwards (NC-11), Rep. Bob Latta (OH-05), Rep. Earl "Buddy" Carter (GA-01), Rep. Rick Allen (GA-12), Rep. John James (MI-10), Rep. Gabe Evans (CO-08), Rep. Young Kim (CA-40), Rep. Mike Flood (NE-01), Rep. Rudy Yakym (IN-02), Rep. Harriet Hageman (WY), Rep. Jefferson Shreve (IN-06), and Rep. Tim Moore (NC-14).
Manufactured housing is the nation’s largest source of unsubsidized affordable homeownership and was projected to build more than 100,000 homes in 2025, accounting for close to 10 percent of new single-family home starts. Keeping these homes both affordable and energy efficient is essential for millions of working families. This legislation eliminates duplicative federal rules that lawmakers say have increased costs for manufactured housing and ensures that energy efficiency improvements are made in a way that preserves affordability and access for low- and moderate-income Americans.
“This legislation is essential to our work to cut red tape and lower costs for hard-working American families. The Affordable HOMES Act cuts redundant regulations to help restore the American Dream of home ownership for millions of families,” said Rep. Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. “Thank you to Congresswoman Houchin for your work to lead the Affordable HOMES and support our communities.”
Section 413 of EISA gave DOE overlapping authority to set energy standards for manufactured homes, conflicting with HUD’s long-standing, preemptive authority under the HUD Code. This dual authority has led to years of confusion, litigation, and inaction. Neither agency has been able to move forward with meaningful, practical energy efficiency updates for manufactured housing.
Despite the regulatory gridlock, the energy efficiency of manufactured homes has continued to advance thanks to industry innovation and voluntary programs. More than half of all new manufactured homes are ENERGY STAR certified and all surpass current HUD efficiency standards. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and American Housing Survey show that today’s manufactured homes have lower total energy use per household than site-built homes, and the gap in efficiency has narrowed dramatically. The Affordable HOMES Act restores regulatory clarity, allowing HUD to update energy standards just as it does for all other aspects of the code—ensuring manufactured homes remain both affordable and energy efficient.
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TN Roll Call Vote in Support of Manufactured Housing on H.R. 5184.
Burchett, Tim (R - District 02) - Yea
Cohen, Steve (R - District 09) - Nay
DesJarlais, Scott (R - District 04) - Yea
Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" (R - District 03) - Yea
Harshbarger, Diana (R - District 01) - Yea
Kustoff, David (R - District 08) - Yea
Rose, John W. (R - District 06) - Yea
Van Epps, Matt (R - District 07) - Yea
57 Democrats crossed party lines to pass this very important bi-partisan legislation.
Housing Bill Advances in Senate
[Saved for Archive and Training Purposes on pending - Title 3 – Manufactured Housing for America.]
In late July (2025), the Senate Banking Committee advanced the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act of 2025, a large bipartisan housing bill aimed at expanding the nation’s housing supply, improving housing affordability, and increasing oversight and efficiency of federal regulations and housing programs.
The bill was passed by a unanimous vote and will now go to the full Senate for consideration. The House of Representatives has not yet moved on a similar package, but housing is a major priority on both sides of the aisle.
The bill contained eight distinct titles with related bills for each title included as sections. Manufactured housing received its own title, Title 3 – Manufactured Housing for America, with four related bills included as sections. The prominence of having a separate title and being in the top three titles of the bill highlights Congress’s support for the industry.
Title 3 – Manufactured Housing for America:
Section 301 – Housing Supply Expansion Act
This section updates the federal definition of manufactured housing to include modular and prefabricated units not built on a permanent chassis to encourage innovation and expand naturally-occurring affordable housing. This is a forward-looking provision that will help unlock innovative new design possibilities, allowing American manufacturers to produce a broader range of attractive and affordable housing options.
Section 302 – Modular Housing Production Act
This section requires the FHA to assess barriers to FHA-insured lending for modular housing and directs the HUD Secretary to modify the financing draw schedule to encourage modular housing construction.
Section 303 – Property Improvement and Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act
This section updates mortgage lending standards for manufactured housing through the FHA and expands access to financing for housing. The section also directs HUD to study the cost-effectiveness and long-term value of supporting factory-built housing finance options to address the nation’s housing shortages.
Section 304 – PRICE Act
This section authorizes HUD’s Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) Program to provide grants to communities to maintain, protect, and stabilize manufactured housing and manufactured housing communities, under a permanently authorized program. [The language regarding eligibility of grant recipients is problematic, and MHI is working to address that as the legislative process continues.] The PRICE Program was initially a one time grant. Read a quick summary of the original 2024 program HERE.
New Pathways to Home Financing
Freddie Mac is expanding its CHOICEHome program to include single-section CrossMod® homes and this is a pivotal step toward unlocking greater access to attainable housing nationwide.
CrossMod® homes combine the best of on-site and factory construction and have gained popularity in recent years due to the many advantages they offer over conventional manufactured homes. High-end, energy-efficient and affordable, CrossMod® factory-built housing appeals to underserved homebuyers who value homes built to rigorous federal standards for quality, safety and durability as well as curb appeal features like pitched roofs and garages. With manufactured homes costing up to 50% less per square foot than site-built homes, CrossMods® present a compelling path to quality homeownership and are attainable for buyers of nearly every budget.
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Tennessee Leaders
Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger
Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger
Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger
Congressman Tim Burchett
Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger
Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger
Congressman Chuck Fleischmann
Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger
Congressman Chuck Fleischmann
