OMHA is actively supporting the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) as the U.S. Senate prepares to consider a sweeping housing package that could significantly impact our industry. While the package presents several promising opportunities for manufactured housing, it also contains draft language that—if left uncorrected could unintentionally cause serious harm to home production and land-lease communities.

At the center of the issue is the Administration’s proposal to limit institutional investment in single-family housing. Without clear distinctions between fee-simple single-family homes and manufactured homes located in land-lease communities, the current language risks sweeping our industry into restrictions that were never intended for manufactured housing. Such an oversight could disrupt the placement of 30,000 to 50,000 homes per year, cutting off a vital source of attainable housing for families across the country.

OMHA is working closely with MHI as they engage the White House, Treasury, HUD, and Congressional leaders to secure essential clarifications before the Senate moves forward—possibly as early as this week. At the same time, MHI continues to champion provisions that would strengthen manufactured housing, including reaffirming HUD as the primary regulator, modernizing the federal construction code, and protecting private investment in land-lease communities.

Now, member engagement is crucial. OMHA urges all members to participate in MHI’s Action Alert, which makes it easy to contact your Representative and U.S. Senators with just a few clicks. By speaking up, we can help ensure the Senate adopts clear, narrowly tailored language that supports manufactured housing and preserves our industry’s ability to deliver attainable homes at scale.

Together, OMHA and MHI are working to ensure federal policy strengthens—not undermines—the future of manufactured housing.

OMHA is pleased to share the introduction of House Bill 569, legislation aimed at bringing much-needed clarity and consistency to the handling of abandoned manufactured homes across Ohio.

Sponsored by Rep. James Hoops and Rep. Jack Daniels, the bill focuses on creating a more transparent and uniform legal process. HB 569 establishes clear notice requirements to ensure titled owners, lienholders, and estates are properly informed, while also setting reasonable timelines for the removal of abandoned homes following eviction.

The legislation also works to streamline court procedures by creating a consistent statewide approach—replacing what is currently a patchwork of processes that can vary widely from county to county.

Additionally, the bill updates valuation thresholds, increasing them from $3,000 to $10,000, and introduces a structured process for homes exceeding that amount, including public auction requirements.

OMHA continues to work closely with industry partners and legislators on this important issue. Industry testimony was scheduled March 25, with OMHA Board Member John Monroe providing insight based on his extensive, hands-on experience managing abandoned homes in Northeast Ohio.

This legislation represents an important step toward improving efficiency, reducing delays, and providing fair, workable solutions for communities, owners, and the courts. OMHA looks forward to continued collaboration as HB 569 moves through the legislative process.

OMHA presented several key recommendations, including:

·Completing initial plan reviews within 10 business days

·Completing resubmissions within 5 business days

·Establishing separate review queues for residential and commercial projects

·Allowing third-party reviews of manufacturer construction documents

The Department has taken meaningful steps in response to our concerns. They’ve created separate residential and commercial queues, hired additional personnel, and—at one point—reduced review times to as low as 14 days for initial reviews and 7 days for resubmissions. While turnaround times may fluctuate, these early improvements have been noticed by some manufacturers.

BBS also shared that they are exploring certification of local building departments to handle many commercial plan reviews, which would allow Commerce staff to dedicate more time to modular home approvals. This change could lead to greater consistency and efficiency across the board.

Additionally, discussions focused on better incorporation of construction manuals into the review process. One promising idea is the pre-approval of base model plans—allowing manufacturers to submit only modifications for review, which could greatly reduce delays. This would also allow retail centers to better advise customers: if certain customizations (e.g., XYZ) are selected, the home may require additional review time.

BBS has begun hosting training calls for manufacturers to help clarify these evolving processes. OMHA has requested to be added to these notifications and encourages members to ensure they’re receiving these invitations.

We’ve also requested that BBS draft a memo summarizing the changes to help keep the industry informed. OMHA will include additional updates in upcoming newsletters, including key contacts for when issues arise.

While we are optimistic about the progress, we remain cautious. No formal statutory or rule changes have been made, and without codifying improvements, there’s concern that delays could resurface—particularly during the next major code update cycle.

OMHA also would like to extend a special thanks to Bryan Providakes of Clayton Homes Middlebury for sharing his expertise and knowledge of best practices from throughout the Midwest. His insights were instrumental in shaping our recommendations.

We’ll continue working closely with state leadership, manufacturers, and regulatory staff to advocate for long-term solutions and ensure Ohio remains a leader in modular housing efficiency.

https://com.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/industrial-compliance