THE ISSUE:
The Manufactured Housing Industry needs to tell DOE its
Energy Standards for Manufactured Housing are Unreasonable!
Good afternoon THA Members!
The Department of Energy (DOE) has published and is seeking comments on its draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which evaluates potential impacts of the Department’s proposed action to establish energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing.
The draft EIS provides an additional opportunity for our national voice (the Manufactured Housing Institute/MHI) and the industry to continue the ongoing advocacy, by telling DOE the proposed energy efficiency standards are not cost-effective and will hurt the affordability of today’s manufactured homes. The Department will use the comments and information which are submitted, to help inform the final rulemaking to establish manufactured housing energy efficiency standards, as well as prepare a final EIS.
The findings in the EIS demonstrate MHI’s position that the Department’s current proposal is not cost effective for consumers and will raise the barrier for entry-level homeownership for millions of Americans, at a time when there is an affordable housing shortage. In the draft EIS, the DOE acknowledges that “increase purchase price and up-front costs might reduce access to affordable homeownership for some low-income consumers”, reinforcing MHI and the industry’s argument.
At a time when the Administration is looking to boost the supply of affordable homes through manufactured housing, this proposed rule cannot stand. Join us to oppose the DOE proposal.
