The National Manufactured Home Owners Association (NMHOA) is a left-of-center nonprofit which advocates for those living in homes built on land privately owned by a third-party. These “manufactured homes” are typically mobile homes. Though the group is ostensibly nonpartisan, the NMHOA has been involved in pushing for left-of-center policies at the state and federal level, including imposing rent control, expanding government regulation of home loans, and limiting land sales to development companies.

History

The National Manufactured Home Owners Association was founded in 2011 to educate those living in manufactured homes about their rights, while pushing for left-of-center housing policies. ¹ The NMHOA has a two pronged-advocacy strategy, focusing on both the national and state levels. ² In addition to maintaining a national advocacy network, the NMHOA maintains state associations in 15 different states across the country. ³

Since its foundation, NMHOA has partnered with several left-of-center organizations, including Prosperity Now, the National Consumer Law Center, and the Consumer Federation of America. ⁴

Activity

National Manufactured Home Owners Association has backed increased regulation of the manufactured home industry, increased rent control measures, and forced disclosure of political expenditures by private companies.

In 2015, the NMHOA took on Berkshire Hathaway mogul and frequent major left-of-center advocacy contributor Warren Buffett. Buffett proposed federal legislation which would deregulate the lending market, allowing lenders associated with his company to provide loans to low-income individuals seeking to purchase manufactured homes. ⁵ The NMHOA argued that the legislation would make home ownership more costly for low-income Americans, pushing for maintaining strict lending regulations which traditionally bar low-income Americans from obtaining home loans. ⁶

In 2016, the NMHOA backed a bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) which expanded the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 8 housing assistance to pay for insurance, utilities, and property taxes for mobile home owners, in addition to subsidizing the leased land on which the home rests. ⁷ The bill passed both houses of Congress and was signed into law by President Barack Obama on July 29, 2016. ⁸

The NMHOA has also fought on the local let fvelr left-of-center reform, organizing in 2016 on behalf of manufactured homeowners in Boulder, Colorado to form housing associations to engage in disputes with landlords. ⁹

In 2017, the NMHOA supported a measure introduced by Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) which would implement a 75 percent federal tax credit to encourage mobile park owners to sell their land to nonprofit developers or to the residents leasing it. ¹⁰ Ellison, with the support of the NMHOA, designed the bill to discourage landlords from selling their private property to for-profit developers. ¹¹ The bill was not voted on during Ellison’s term, but left-wing Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) reintroduced the bill in May 2019. ¹²

In addition to federal advocacy projects, the NMHOA has organized several small-scale demonstrations across the country to protest rent increases. In 2013, shortly after the organization’s foundation, the group organized a demonstration outside of Equity LifeStyle, a mobile home business run by investor Sam Zell. ¹³ Equity LifeStyle is the largest owner of mobile home parks in the United States, with 383 properties in the US and Canada as of 2012. ¹⁴ In 2013, a shareholder proposed that the organization disclose its political activities to shareholders, and NMHOA organized a demonstration outside company headquarters in support of the measure, which failed when put to a vote. ¹⁵

People and Funding

As of 2017, the NMHOA received most of its funding from public support and membership fees, bringing in just $24,833 in revenue in 2017. ¹⁶ Funding for the organization has decreased substantially over the years, with revenue exceeding $140,000 every year between 2014 and 2016. ¹⁷ In addition to public support, the group’s former president Tim Sheahan offered the NMHOA a $5000 loan in 2017. ¹⁸

Gary Miller, current President of the NMHOA is the district manager for Ricciardi Brothers, the largest Benjamin Moore dealer in the United States. ¹⁹ Miller also serves on the Jackson Township Rent Control Board in New Jersey, where he brought rent control back to the township after it was removed. ²⁰

1. “ABOUT.” NMHOA, 2016. http://www.nmhoa.org/about.html.
2. “Home.” NMHOA, 2016. http://www.nmhoa.org/
3. “State Members.” NMHOA, 2016. http://www.nmhoa.org/state-hoa-members.html
4. “Partners.” NMHOA, 2016. http://www.nmhoa.org/partners.html
5. Baker, Mike. “Buffett’s Mobile-Home Business Has Most to Gain from Deregulation Plan.” The Seattle Times.

   The Seattle Times Company, January 13, 2016. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/buffetts-mobile-home-business-has-most-to-gain-from-deregulation-plan/.

6. Baker, Mike. “Buffett’s Mobile-Home Business Has Most to Gain from Deregulation Plan.” The Seattle Times.

   The Seattle Times Company, January 13, 2016. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/buffetts-mobile-home-business-has-most-to-gain-from-deregulation-plan/.

7. “Welch Initiative to Assist Low-Income Mobile Homeowners Passes House.” VTDigger, February 5, 2016. https://vtdigger.org/2016/02/07/welch-initiative-to-assist-low-income-mobile-homeowners-passes-house/.
8. “H.R.3700 – 114th Congress (2015-2016): Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016.” Congress.gov, July 29, 2016. https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3700.
9. Meltzer, Erica. “Boulder Mobile Home Tenants’ Choice: Organize or Litigate?” Boulder Daily Camera, April 2, 2016. https://www.dailycamera.com/2016/04/02/boulder-mobile-home-tenants-choice-organize-or-litigate/.
10. Otárola, Miguel. “Rep. Keith Ellison Introduces Bill Supporting Mobile Home Parks.” Star Tribune. Star Tribune, July 21, 2017. http://www.startribune.com/rep-keith-ellison-introduces-bill-supporting-mobile-home-parks/435734343/.
11. Otárola, Miguel. “Rep. Keith Ellison Introduces Bill Supporting Mobile Home Parks.” Star Tribune. Star Tribune,

    July 21, 2017. http://www.startribune.com/rep-keith-ellison-introduces-bill-supporting-mobile-home-parks/435734343/.

12. “Text – H.R.2832 – 116th Congress (2019-2020): Frank Adelmann Manufactured Housing Community Sustainability Act.” Congress.gov, May 17, 2019. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/2832/text?r=10.
13. Tekippe, Abraham. “Equity LifeStyle Shareholders Reject Proposal on Political Activities.” Crain’s Chicago

    Business, May 9, 2013. https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130509/CRED03/130509712/equity-lifestyle-shareholders-reject-proposal-on-political-activities.

14. Tekippe, Abraham. “Equity LifeStyle Shareholders Reject Proposal on Political Activities.” Crain’s Chicago Business, May 9, 2013. https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130509/CRED03/130509712/equity-lifestyle-shareholders-reject-proposal-on-political-activities.
15. Tekippe, Abraham. “Equity LifeStyle Shareholders Reject Proposal on Political Activities.” Crain’s Chicago Business, May 9, 2013. https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130509/CRED03/130509712/equity-lifestyle-shareholders-reject-proposal-on-political-activities.
16. “National Manufactured Home Owners Association.” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, Form 990. Part II, Section A, Line 1.
17. “National Manufactured Home Owners Association.” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, Form 990. Part II, Section A, Line 1.
18. “National Manufactured Home Owners Association.” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, Form 990. Schedule L, Part II.
19. “Biographies.” NMHOA, 2016. http://www.nmhoa.org/biographies.html
20. “Biographies.” NMHOA, 2016. http://www.nmhoa.org/biographies.html