UMH Properties was honored to be a Gold Sponsor and exhibitor at the very first Innovative Housing Showcase that took place at the National Mall in Washington, DC at the beginning of June.
Hosted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), this five-day event drew a crowd of thousands of individuals. Representatives and legislators made appearances to learn about new affordable building technologies, and to tour a beautiful three bed, two bath manufactured home that Cavco (builder) and UMH (retailer) placed on the site of the event.
“It was great to be a part of a National event that celebrated manufactured housing, and really educated the American people about all of the exciting innovation in the industry,” said UMH Properties Director of Public Relations, Kristi McGovern.
One purpose of this event was to educate lawmakers on how far technology has advanced the affordable housing solutions offered by UMH and other retailers across the country. HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson spoke out about regulations in the industry that still inhibit the availability of manufactured and modular homes in counties and cities nationwide. He stated his objectives to remove the barriers for manufactured housing as well as to offer more grants and technical assistance, in order to enable more and more Americans to pursue the dream of home ownership.
HUD Secretary Ben Carson touring a UMH Manufactured Home at the Innovative Housing Showcase
“This is a tremendous mechanism for a lot of first-time homebuyers… to be able to get into the housing market and create equity,” said Carson.
In this video from the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), you can see the warm reception and surprise of several U.S. representatives upon touring the UMH Cavco model home.
“[This house] is beautiful. When I walk through here, what I see is an opportunity for people to have home ownership who never thought that they could… And doing it in a way that’s affordable, but still you get a quality product like what we have here,” said Kathleen Rice, U.S. Representative from New York’s 4th District.
UMH Manufactured Home set up at the National Mall for the Innovative Housing Showcase
UMH had a deck with a ramp made for the model home, making the home handicap accessible to everyone who wanted to tour the inside. Upon completion of the event, the entire deck was donated for use on the US VETS new DC clubhouse.
Our CEO Sam Landy and the hard-working staff at UMH Properties, Inc were thrilled to be a part of an event that so thoroughly celebrated the industry that we’ve worked hard to grow and improve upon for over 50 years. Our 118 home communities across 8 states satisfy a fundamental need for over 40,000 people: the need for high-quality, affordable housing in communities that are continually reinvesting in the properties and amenities to the benefit of the residents.
UMH Properties CEO Sam Landy speaking at the Innovative Housing Showcase in Washington, D.C.
If you’re interested in becoming a resident of a UMH Community, you can visit our Community Finder to discover the options available in your area. If you’re looking to customize an affordable, brand new two- or three-bedroom modular home to place on your own land, look no further than one of our 7 Sales Center locations. For anyone considering the options for homeownership, we encourage you to come out and tour one of our model homes and see the UMH difference!
