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On Thursday, July 23, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) voted 2-1 to stay a portion of its June 26 order to extend the moratorium on utility residential customer disconnections and refusal of service for nonpayment until September 1. Therefore, if you are billing for water, you cannot disconnect for non-payment of water. The additional time will allow PSC staff to collect more data and information from utilities on their disconnection plans, allow for comment from customer organizations, and further monitor the spread of COVID-19 in the state. The move comes as COVID-19 positive cases in Wisconsin have more [...]

Tomorrow’s Home Foundation received a community grant of $2,500 from Alliant Energy through its Foundation. The funds supported the THF Helping Hands Assistance Program. The recipient of this grant was Linda Keledzik. “Our organization provides emergency assistance grants for critical repairs that allow individuals and families to stay in their manufactured or mobile home,” said Amy Bliss, Board Chair of Tomorrow’s Home Foundation. “We appreciate the support from the Alliant Energy Foundation as it allows us to help more families stay in their homes.” This community grant to recipient is among nearly 240 grants awarded totaling almost $550,000 from Alliant [...]

On July 28th, the U.S. Senate confirmed Dana Wade as Assistant Secretary of Housing at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). MHI has been a vocal supporter of Wade’s confirmation since her nomination hearing before the Senate Banking Committee in May. As in prior nomination hearings for HUD leaders, MHI provided our champions on the Committee with information about issues of importance to the manufactured housing industry, including the creation of a separate regulatory path for a more regular cadence of HUD Code updates and elevating the Office of [...]

Wisconsin Housing Alliance and Wisconsin RV Alliance generally hosts a joint golf outing every other year. 2020 was supposed to be the year, however, due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, it has been decided that the outing will be held next August instead.  Many members are working to make up for lost time during the stay at home orders and hopefully, all of the virus will be gone next year. Mark your calendars for 2021 Golf Outing on Wednesday, August 18th at Hawk's View in Lake Geneva. More details will come out in the spring of 2021. [...]

On June 25th, the Republican-controlled Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules voted along party lines on a decision to strike down a DATCP Emergency Rule which prohibited late fees through August. Legislators argued the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection did not have the authority under the law to issue such a rule. The agency said this was a measure to prevent worse financial trouble for tenants. “Prohibiting late fees during and 90 days beyond a public health emergency allows tenants time to apply for assistance programs if needed and to meet their financial obligations without spiraling deeper [...]

Under the CARES act, $25 million in Wisconsin Rental Assistance is available for Wisconsin residents who have experienced significant loss of income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program (WRAP) will provide direct financial assistance for owed rent and security deposits. Eligible applicants must be an adult Wisconsin resident with a household income at or below 80% of the county median income in the month of or prior to the application date. Once approved, eligible individuals may receive assistance of up to $3,000 in a combination of rental payments and/or security deposits. These payments will [...]

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has dedicated its Spring 2020 edition of “Evidence Matters” magazine to factory-built housing. Containing useful research and commentary sourced from third parties and HUD, the issue affirms the resilience, quality and affordability of manufactured homes. The issue also provides validation from HUD’s own research team that “a variety of demand, regulatory, zoning, and other barriers, however, have limited the reach of this promising affordability solution,” serving as a call-to-action for policymakers and Congress to move forward in making changes to help the industry overcome such hurdles. The publication affirms MHI’s long [...]

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced final amendments to its “hours of service” regulations. These updates create a more reasonable compliance standard for short and longhaul drivers, including those who deliver manufactured homes and their parts and accessories. MHI has long advocated for changes to the FMCSA’s “hours of service” regulations to allow greater flexibility for the transportation of manufactured homes without sacrificing safety. In response to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the FMCSA proposed changes to its “hours of service” requirements for drivers in 2018, MHI submitted comments urging the DOT and FMCSA to ensure requirements [...]

The Wisconsin Department of Safety & Professional Services (DSPS) mailed license renewals to mhc owners in early May. This is a 2 year license and billed in even numbered years. A new 2020 license will be sent to you when DSPS receives your payment. To avoid an $80 late fee, payments must be received by June 30, 2020. The renewal form asks for your Community ID (license).  This can be found at DSPS’ website under Credentialing. DSPS has a new eSLA system where they say you can pay your renewal fees online. The online payment system allows you to pay [...]

By Executive Director, Amy Bliss The Wisconsin Supreme Court has issued a 4-3 decision in Legislature v. Palm, the Department of Health Services’ (DHS) “Safer at Home” order unenforceable and immediately striking down the order. The court held that the Safer at Home order is a “rule” that was required to go through statutory rulemaking processes and that the order exceeds DHS’s authority under Wisconsin’s pandemic statutes. Though the statewide order has been struck down, Dane County and Milwaukee have already announced they will continue to enforce shelter-in-place guidelines. This trend might continue with other cities or counties if they have their own health departments. According to [...]