SE Nebraska News

U.S. Representatives Mike Flood (R-Nebraska) and Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri) have introduced the “Streamlining Manufactured Housing Standards Act.” The proposed legislation aims to clarify that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the only agency with authority to set energy efficiency and safety standards for manufactured housing.

“America has been grappling with a housing crisis and cutting red tape is one of the key tools to helping home builders create more housing,” said Rep. Flood. “Manufactured homes have historically been built to a HUD code, and in order to make manufactured homes a cost-effective option for consumers we must ensure that HUD has primary authority over all manufactured housing standards. Thank you to my colleague Rep. Cleaver for helping to lead this effort, and I look forward to working together to move this legislation through our committee and the full House.”

Rep. Cleaver commented on the impact of rising housing costs: “American families are drowning under a national housing affordability crisis that is limiting economic opportunity and sowing pessimism in the future,” he said. “By clarifying HUD’s important role in maintaining home energy efficiency standards, we will ensure that federal experts in housing are the ones overseeing quality projects that enable the construction of manufactured housing nationwide. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with Chairman Flood as we seek to lower housing costs by streamlining the regulation of quality, affordable homes in communities that need them most.”

Lesli Gooch, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of the Manufactured Housing Institute, also expressed support for the bill: “For more than 50 years, our industry has partnered with HUD to help millions of Americans achieve the dream of homeownership. The Streamlining Manufactured Housing Standards Act reaffirms HUD’s sole authority over our construction standards, preserving the integrity of this long-standing partnership. Manufactured housing is the only form of housing built to a federal construction code, and we do it at scale—delivering quality homes across the country at attainable prices. We commend Chairman Flood and Ranking Member Cleaver for their bipartisan leadership in protecting the regulatory efficiency that is central to this partnership. Regulatory efficiency, combined with factory-built efficiency, is the formula that makes manufactured housing the most affordable quality homeownership option available. This bill preserves the regulatory side of that equation and strengthens a vital housing solution for families nationwide.”

Rep. Flood serves as chair of both the Housing Financial Services Committee’s Housing and Insurance Subcommittee as well as leading roles within his party caucus.

Flood has previously introduced other legislative measures focused on shaping national housing policy.

Mike Flood represents Nebraska’s 1st district in Congress after replacing Jeff Fortenberry in 2022; he previously served in Nebraska's State Legislature from 2007–2013 (source). Born in Omaha in 1975, he currently resides in Norfolk (source). He graduated from Notre Dame with a BA before earning his JD from University of Nebraska-Lincoln (source).