HARRISBURG – Some PA lawmakers joined with manufactured home residents to voice support for legislation that would protect them from steep land-lot rent increases. Across the country, manufactured home communities are being purchased by private equity firms and multi-state corporations that then dramatically raise rates. Manufactured homeowners own their homes, but not the land beneath them, and relocating a manufactured home is often costly and difficult. As a result, homeowners living in communities purchased by private equity firms have little recourse when rates sharply increase. Many manufactured homeowners are seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who live on fixed incomes and are increasingly at risk of being priced out of their homes. Legislation has been introduced in the PA General Assembly to strengthen protections for such residents. Some provisions include requiring 180 days’ notice of all rent and fee increases, capping annual increases based on the Consumer Price Index (with justified exceptions and temporary capital improvement surcharges), and granting residents and resident associations a 90-day right of first refusal when parks are up for sale.
