How long does it take to transform “mobile homes” into “modern housing concepts?”

About 25 years. And Lori Killinger, along with her longtime client the Florida Manufactured Housing Association (FMHA), has been there for the entire journey.

An Executive Shareholder with Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A., Killinger has worked with FMHA since 1998.

Few people called them anything other than “mobile homes” then, carrying the ramshackle stereotype of flimsy trailers consigned to hidden corners of the state.

“For decades, we were not part of Florida’s affordable housing conversation,” she said.

Working hand and glove with FMHA, the challenge was to not only revamp the image of manufactured homes, but to ensure they were treated equally with other housing options as Florida’s population boom never seemed to slow.

The first step was to ease away from the term “mobile homes,” replacing it with less burdened phrase of “manufactured housing.”

This was more than semantics. The industry made the homes safer, meeting the same hurricane and safety standards as site-based homes. Higher quality material made the homes look better and feel sturdier. Various floor plans offered new options with porches and decks that made them sometimes impossible to differentiate from site-based houses.

Lawmakers and policymakers took notice and their consideration of manufactured homes as part of a solution to provide affordable housing began to take root.

“As our product progressed, the industry was then able to focus on thought leaders,” she said.

Years of lobbying, from one-on-one meetings with lawmakers to public events showcasing the safety of manufactured homes, began to have an effect.

“The political process is a ‘chip away’ process,” she said. “Timing is everything. You want to be ready.”

In 2023, when Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo made affordable housing, through the Live Local Act, the top priority for her two-year term as one of the most powerful politicians in the state, Killinger and the industry were ready.

Thousands of hours of work culminated with seven words in Section 420 of Florida Statutes that included “modern housing concepts such as manufactured homes” as part of Florida’s new statutory “state housing strategy,” opening the door to state funding to support their use in cities and counties across the state.

“It’s big. Humongous,” said Killinger. “This is where the Florida Housing Finance Corporation looks when it develops programs. It’s where local affordable housing advocates look. To have the words ‘manufactured housing’ in statute means that these safe and affordable units can truly become ‘homes’ for Floridians.”

Manufactured homes are also part of the “Florida Hometown Heroes” program which provides interest-free loans to residents meeting certain requirements.

Success came because of persistence and patience.

“These long-term, closeknit relationships with our clients are what helps us achieve these goals,” she said. “The most successful clients are the ones where we know the issues and we are true partners.”