City of Houston Requiring Police Escorts for MH

Late last week TMHA became aware that the City of Houston has begun requiring police escorts when moving a manufactured home within the city limits. This began on June 1 when TXDOT added the permit restriction on MH. In direct conversations with TXDOT, we learned they imposed the permit restriction based on a 1972 City of Houston ordinance on “House Moving.” 

Apparently, this ordnance has been on the books for more than 45 years, but TXDOT was only made aware of it recently. The interpretation is that the ordinance definition of “house” which states: “House. Any building, structure or edifice,” includes manufactured homes.

TMHA immediately began working to resolve this issue. We have been in contact with TXDOT, TDHCA, the City of Houston’s legal department, multiple state representatives and Gov. Abbott’s office.

Unfortunately, at this time we do not have a final resolution, but we are pursuing every available venue to try and lift the permit restriction. 

In addition to our ongoing efforts here, TMHA is calling on our members to contact your state representatives’ and senators’ offices to ask them to help remove this costly, unnecessarily burdensome and delaying permit restriction.