This Week at MHISC

This week, the association held a chapter meeting in Summerville for Charleston-area members. Over 40 members came out to speak with Berkley County officials about local issues and to earn an hour of continuing education.
Additionally, members and staff mourned the passing of respected industry veteran Al Randall. Al was a long-time lending rep with South State Bank, served on the MHISC board as chair, and was a member of the SC Manufactured Housing Hall of Fame.

This week, staff put together the first chapter in a guide to local officials on creating amicable climates for manufactured home developments in cities and counties. MHISC has been working with leaders in areas of the state in need of affordable housing, and the association has been working with member communities to find out what local policies best facilitate these types of developments.
Additionally, staff finished writing articles for the May 2023 edition of Update Magazine. The magazine will feature information about the upcoming convention, the process of getting modular homes approved by the SCBCC, and the projected housing growth in the state for the coming years.

This week, the South Carolina Manufactured Housing Board met to discuss how continuing education should be handled in the 2022-2024 licensing cycle, and to discuss disciplinary procedures for licensees who falsified CE on their renewal applications. MHISC was present at these meetings to represent the interests of our members.
Additionally, the Lowcountry chapter met in Myrtle Beach to earn one hour of continuing education and learn about new developments with HVAC service and supply.

This week, MHISC hosted the SC Manufactured Housing Hall of Fame as they selected who would be inducted during the Hall of Fame dinner on the night of June 21 at the association’s Myrtle Beach Convention. The inductee will be announced on MHISC’s Facebook page in the coming weeks.
MHISC’s Grand Strand chapter also met for an hour of continuing education from presenter Bobby Hathaway. To view upcoming chapter meetings, [click here].

This week, the MHISC staff have been working with retail managers from across the state to identify any areas of SC infrastructure that have damaged manufactured homes in transport. Several retailers have identified low hanging powerlines or untrimmed trees that tear into homes being moved. If the association finds a trend in these issues, we will work with the SC Department of Transportation to get them fixed.
Additionally, the association’s continuing education page has been updated to include upcoming courses being offered at chapter meetings in March as well as adding a link to the first online courses that members can take for free anytime. You can check out the new CE page [here].

This week, association staff launched the first online CE course of the new cycle. Licensees will need to have six hours of continuing education credit by June 30, 2024. MHISC will also hold an hour of continuing education at each of MHISC’s six chapter meetings in March. Registration for these events can be found [here].
Additionally, staff have been looking into an issue reported by several retailer across the state of powerlines hanging below the required height and damaging homes in transport. MHISC is investigating whether this issue is localized to a specific area of the state.

This week, staff monitored the final discussion of a South Carolina Building Codes Council project to examine the classifications, limitations, educational requirements, and disciplinary procedures of code enforcement officers who oversee how modular homes are built and installed and how manufactured homes are installed.
Additionally, association staff have worked with Lexington area members to clarify the county’s new enforcement policy on building standards for manufactured home decks and porches.

MHISC has been working at the SC Statehouse following S.436, a bill that establishes an Heirs’ Property Commission for the state. This would allow over $3 billion in property that is currently tied up in inheritance issues to be sorted out and would open up hundreds of new home sites across the state in rural areas where manufactured homes are most popular.
Additionally, MHISC staff finished up work on both the next issue of Update Magazine and the association’s new Continuing Education Tracker.

MHISC Staff met with several SC Senate and House members this week to discuss bringing more opportunities to place affordable manufactured homes for their constituents. One issue that was brought up was the rise in 5-year age limits on MH popping up in municipalities across the state which would cripple the market for retailers selling pre-owned homes as well as MH communities in these areas.
Association staff worked on putting together a multi-prong plan for approaching these issues, including an all-city and county newsletter blast (which was dropped in the mail this afternoon), setting up meetings between members and city governments, and allying with statehouse members to work on removing these ordinances on a large scale.

This week, MHISC met with key staff members from representatives on the SC Statehouse’s Labor, Commerce & Industry committee to discuss how proposed legislation would affect our members and SC homebuyers.
MHISC staff also set down with the mayor of the city of Saluda to discuss strategies for replacing older homes in the city with new, affordable manufactured homes. MHISC will coordinate with members in the area to fill this development opportunity.
Additionally, registration for the March chapter meetings has just gone live. You can register for these meetings [here].