MMHA Newsletter

MMHA, Inc
PO Box 5963
Marlboro, MA 01752

508 460-9523

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MMHA Newsletter - Spring 2007 Messenger

From President, David Piper, Jr.

This Spring Issue of the Messenger presumably is well named, withstanding a winter of low plowing bills. Spring is a time of re-birth and your Board has big plans to move our Association ahead.

David Piper, Jr.
President

First is the introduction of an omnibus bill promoting manufactured housing in the Commonwealth. Representative Martin Walsh and Senator Joan Menard have introduced in the Legislature HB # 1293. The bill has not yet been assigned to a Committee as the legislature is spending most of its time on the Governor’s Budget. We believe the bill is very much pro-resident as it attempts to promote manufactured home living.

The bill includes:

Putting the cost of background/credit checks on the prospective buyer thereby ensuring only serious purchasers for community sellers.
A sub-metering component ensuring that residents only pay for water they use.
A $1,500 state tax credit for residential oil tank owners replacing their tanks. This not only ensures health and safety but provides a financial incentive.
That, for purposes of calculating design flows, each septic system shall be considered a separate and distinct facility. This is the case with condominiums and would save residents hundreds of thousands in capital improvement costs.
Providing for asset verification for those under rent control while providing for a three year phase-out of rent control. Residents in privately owned communities would be entitled to seek government grants like those in resident owned communities to defray the cost of passed through capital improvement costs.

In addition we stand ready to work with legislators on other affordable housing initiatives such as amendments to 40B.

From the Desk of the Executive Director, Dick Norton

David Piper, in his President’s Message, has outline MMHA‘s Omnibus Bill to Promote Affordable Housing Through the Promotion of Manufactured Housing (HB 1293). A fact of political life is the necessity to attend breakfasts and receptions for legislators. Some 11 years ago, MMHA established a Political Action Committee (PAC) to receive funds to forward our legislative agenda. The fund has but $500 left in it and is in need of replenishment. MMHA members will soon be receiving a solicitation under separate cover for donations to our PAC Fund and we would appreciate member participation.

Though our bill has not been assigned to a Committee, Housing Committee Members are listed [elsewhere in this newsletter] here.

Dick Norton,
Executive Director

By the time you read this newsletter, your President and I will have conducted a session on manufactured housing for Building Inspectors in the southern region. Inspectors are required to attend in-service education seminars and this will be the second year in a row that we have been part of this. We always appreciate the opportunity to dialogue with those that regulate us. I would always encourage you to do whatever you can locally.

I encourage you to attend our regular Board Meetings which are generally held at Oak Hill Park in Taunton on the third Thursday of the month. Just call me if you are planning to attend.

I particularly urge you to attend the Mid-Year Forum to be held June 14 at the Holiday Inn (Exit 9 Rte 495 Taunton). Separate details will arrive in April.