July 12-14— Western States Summit, by MHCO in Henderson, Nevada
July 15— Utah Board of Directors, Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City
July 31 — Linda Lindholm’s last day with Idaho Housing Alliance. Contact Jack Lyman at 208-342-0031
September 27-29—MHI Annual Meeting, San Diego,
December 9—Utah Board of Directors Meeting, 10-2 Salt Lake City,
Utah Please submit any dates or events to UHA to put in the newsletter or on the calendar of events. For information email
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As we all know, this is a very challenging economic climate for everyone. As advocates for a crucial component to the housing market, our voices must be heard. Together, we can have increased influence on our industry in Washington. Your state executive director and certified representatives will be collectively voicing our issues and concerns on Capitol Hill in mid-June visits to Senators and Congressmen. The new Congress is in session making decisions that will influence our industry’s future. There's no more important time to be in Washington, D.C.
Manufacturers, lenders, retailers, suppliers and community owners are traveling to the nation’s capitol on your behalf to urge their representatives and senators to support policies that will stabilize the housing market, help reduce foreclosures, restore confidence in the credit markets, and keep the economy moving forward.
The MHI Summer Meeting & Legislative Conference is a landmark event for our industry. Some of the MHI Summer meeting highlights include presentations by two of the most respected political figures, Congressman Joe Donnelly (D-2nd-IN) and Former Congressman Tom Davis (VA). They will bring their firsthand experiences, indepth policy knowledge, and their own unique perspectives on the current state of America. They will focus on the current political climate, the change and transition happening in Washington, and lend their expert analysis of the latest policies that will affect American business and the American public. Additionally, William C. Apgar, Jr. will also be a speaker. Bill is a Senior Advisor to Secretary Shaun Donovan and was FHA Commissioner under Andrew Cuomo in the Clinton Administration. While FHA Commissioner, Bill was instrumental in the enactment of the “Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000. He has been a longterm supporter of providing affordable housing to low-and moderate income households.
The Summer Meeting will include a panel on the new FHA Title I loan insurance program featuring top officials from FHA and Ginnie Mae as well as industry lenders. The panel is well-timed, as the new loan insurance program, designed for use with homeonly manufactured home loans, is due to be launched on June 1. Valuable information will be presented through several panel discussions with experts and policymakers to talk about the current state of the housing market, what the future holds and what it means for our industry. Also members will hear the latest on floor plan lending, consumer finance issues, and what MHI is doing on your behalf.
Congressman and Senators really WANT to meet and hear from us - their voters and constituents. We all need to step up and tell them how important our industry is to America and urge them to take action.
Linda Lindholm Executive Director
Legislative Updates
Legislative Updates
Dale Zabriskie - Zabriskie & Associates
The Wilderness Bill
The U.S. Senate passage of an omnibus public lands bill is significant for the nation, but especially for Utah. Finally, after decades of debate, major progress has been made in the controversial area of wilderness designation. Nationally, two million acres in nine states will be given wilderness status and protection, with some 256,000 of that acreage in Utah’s Washington County. Mostly it is in the area of Zion National Park. It protects much of the Virgin River and allows for the sale of non-environmentally sensitive BLM land.
All parties in the contentious debate deserve commendation, most notably local government leaders, dedicated conservationists and Interior Department bureaucrats. Senator Bob Bennett and Congressman Jim Matheson spearheaded the bipartisan effort. It shows what can be accomplished when all sides buckle down, moderate strident positions and work for the common good. While no group is completely happy with the compromises reached, it reaffirms that the government process works best when the debate, though intense, is civil and underscored with realistic objectives.
Now the measure goes to the U. S. House of Representatives where similar quick approval is urged by many. Then, let what happened with Washington County become a model for future debates over wilderness designation in Utah.
New UHA Board
UHA Annual Meeting
At the Utah Housing Alliance Annual Meeting on May 29th, the following Board members were elected to serve the association:
Board of Directors and Officers 2009-2010
President – Burke Blaser, Retailer, Carefree Homes Vice-President – Gary DeHaas, Retailer, Luxury Homes Past-President – Mark Reeder, Retailer, Factory Homes Outlet Supplier– Doug Strunk, TJT Inc. Retailer – Mark Burke, Clayton Homes Manufacturer/Retailer – Pat O’Kief, Fleetwood Homes Financial Lender – Marlene Sanders, Utah Mortgage Community Owner – Darren Menlove, VIP Community Community Owner – Rick Bills, American Heritage Community Community Management – Nate Nelson, Neighborhood Homes Regulatory Advisor – Ed Short, Sunrise Engineering
Calendar of Events
Calendar of Events
June 15-17—MHI Capitol Visits, Washington, D.C.
July 12-14— Western States Summit, by MHCO in Henderson, Nevada
July 15— Utah Board of Directors, Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City
August 6—Idaho Board Meeting, Boise, Idaho
September 23—Utah Board Meeting, Grand America, Salt Lake City,
September 27-29—MHI Annual Meeting, San Diego,
October 27-29—Idaho Continuing Education
December 9—Utah Board of Directors Meeting, 10-2 Salt Lake City, Utah
For information email
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
As we all know, this is a very challenging economic climate for everyone. As advocates for a crucial component to the housing market, our voices must be heard. Together, we can have increased influence on our industry in Washington. Your state executive director and certified representatives will be collectively voicing our issues and concerns on Capitol Hill in mid-June visits to Senators and Congressmen. The new Congress is in session making decisions that will influence our industry’s future. There's no more important time to be in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Senate passage of an omnibus public lands bill is significant for the nation, but especially for Utah. Finally, after decades of debate, major progress has been made in the controversial area of wilderness designation. Nationally, two million acres in nine states will be given wilderness status and protection, with some 256,000 of that acreage in Utah’s Washington County. Mostly it is in the area of Zion National Park. It protects much of the Virgin River and allows for the sale of non-environmentally sensitive BLM land.
Board of Directors and Officers 2009-2010
