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On Thursday, September 17, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin voted to extend the moratorium on utility residential customer disconnections and refusal of service for nonpayment until November 1. Prior to the extension, regulated utilities were not allowed to disconnect service for non-payment until October 1. The move comes as COVID-19 positive cases continue to spike in the state. The PSC's actions come as Wisconsin is approaching its annual moratorium on cold weather disconnections, for utility service used for home heating. The moratorium is set to begin on November 1, 2020 and runs to April 15, 2021. Water, electric, and [...]

Clayton, a national homebuilder of site-built and off-site built homes, has launched Find Land, a search engine tool to help homebuyers find property listed for sale where off-site built homes could be placed. The new digital experience taps into the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and allows future buyers to search by zip code for available lots on a regional map. Users can filter land-for-sale searches by preferred distance from the chosen zip code and by price range. Search results provide photos, added property detail such as zoning, as well as real estate agent contact information. Clayton said the company invested [...]

By Iowa Manufactured Housing Association One thing Iowans are familiar with is wild weather, says the Iowa Manufactured Homes Association (IMHA). Positioned in the heart of the Midwest, Iowa’s weather ranges from extreme cold and snow to temperatures in the triple digits. And let’s not forget tornadoes. Iowans see virtually everything mother nature can throw, but on August 10, 2020, the state was in for a record-setting weather incident. What has been compared to an “Inland Hurricane,” a ferocious storm called a derecho swept across the state with winds equal to a Category 2 hurricane, taking down 100-year-old oak trees, [...]

News Release from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Release Date: September 4, 2020 Media Contact: Ti Gauger, Public Information Officer, (608) 224-5007 Download PDF​ Download PDF in Spanish​ MADISON – Recent Federal Orders from The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) impact evictions from residential properties in Wisconsin and across the nation. The CDC order to 'Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions to Prevent the Further Spread of COVID-19' will become effective on September 4, 2020 and run through December 31, 2020. Renters are not automatically entitled to protections under the CDC order. [...]

By Sharmila Srivastav, Manager of Affordable Housing, Single-Family Business at Fannie Mae As high quality, lower-cost alternative to site-built homes, manufactured housing could genuinely be the future of housing affordability. The latest generation of factory-built homes can offer everything prospective homebuyers see in the home they’ve been dreaming of. The bit difference is that Fannie Mae research shows they’ll spend $1000 less per month on a mortgage loan by choosing a manufactured home. We in the housing industry know this well, but unfortunately, homebuyers do not. Well, at least not yet. To Change The Market, We Need To Change The [...]

The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority has expanded its single-family financing options to help more Wisconsin residents achieve the dream of homeownership. The new financing options include loans with increased down payment assistance of up to 6% of a home’s purchase price and an expanded number of lenders that may originate WHEDA Advantage FHA loans. Meanwhile, the current shortage of move-in ready homes has increased the utility of WHEDA’s Homestyle Renovation loans, which allow borrowers to finance all costs associated with purchase and renovation through a single 30-year, fixed rate mortgage loan. “For many prospective homebuyers, the lack of [...]

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. [...]