[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 106 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S9548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO JEROLD KENNEDY

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, today I join several of our colleagues in 
cosponsoring a bipartisan bill which will strengthen the manufactured 
housing industry. This legislation will benefit the fastest growing 
segment of the housing industry, while establishing a balanced process 
for the development, revision, and interpretation of Federal 
construction and safety standards. This legislation also focuses on the 
consumer.
  In addition to announcing my cosponsorship, I want to pay tribute to 
Jerold Kennedy, a native Mississippian, entrepreneur, a business owner, 
and advocate for manufactured housing. Jerold championed reforms of the 
regulations controlling this segment of the marketplace. He worked for 
many years to advance legislation that would modernize the National 
Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Act of 1974. Today, I 
honor Jerold's efforts. S.2145 reflects those efforts, and Mr. Kennedy 
would be proud of S.2145.
  This segment of the industry, to which Jerold dedicated his life, 
plays a vital role in making affordable, unsubsidized housing available 
for a wide range of Americans. First time home buyers, single parents, 
and senior citizens are just a few groups who greatly benefit from 
manufactured housing. This industry is responsible for one out of every 
three single-family homes sold last year. One-third! For less than 
$40,000, millions of Americans can realize their dream of owning a 
home. This is an appealing alternative compared to the 5.3 million 
Americans who pay more than 50 percent of their income in rent.
  In order for this industry to sustain such phenomenal growth and make 
affordable housing available, it is necessary to update the laws which 
regulate this industry. The Manufactured Housing Improvement Act (MHIA) 
will do just that, creating a process for keeping construction 
standards current, and enforcing the federal authority on those 
standards. S.2145 will be the first step in fixing the inadequacies 
which confront the manufactured housing industry today.
  This bill will also create a private consensus committee made up of 
all interested parties. They will submit recommendations to the 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Recommendations which 
will serve as a valuable tool in revising the Federal Manufactured Home 
Construction and Safety Standards in a timely manner. Additionally, 
this legislation will authorize HUD to use industry labeling fees to 
pay for any additional staff needed to do the new work. This user fee 
mechanism will remove a need for additional federal funding.
  This legislation pays tribute to Jerold Kennedy, who passed on before 
S.2145 was introduced. I want Mrs. Kennedy, and their three children, 
to know that Jerold's legacy lives within this bill. Jerold Kennedy 
founded Belmont Homes, Inc., and dedicated 28 years of his life to the 
manufactured housing industry. Congress owes a great deal to Jerold 
Kennedy. His common sense approach to update the standards which 
regulate the industry are the foundation of S.2145. I hope this 
Congress can make his dream a reality. This legislation pays tribute to 
a man of integrity. His honesty, trustworthiness, and professionalism 
helped both the profession of which he was a part and the efforts to 
reform its public policy.
  Mr. President, this legislation will address the recognized and 
acknowledged problems in HUD's manufactured housing program. S.2145 
will provide real-world, viable solutions enabling the manufactured 
home industry to prosper, while providing consumers with even more 
benefits and protection.

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