(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania legislators are again poised to introduce legislation amending the Manufactured Home Community Rights Act aimed at strengthening protections for some of the state’s most vulnerable homeowners.
Previous attempts to pass similar bills have failed, but Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Reading, is optimistic about their chances this time around.
Schwank told The Center Square the bill is gaining more bipartisan support, thanks in part to the success of a coalition of manufactured home owners who are urging their legislators to jump on board.
Schwank said they have refocused their legislation into a package of three bills.
The previous version included caps on land rent increases, which had the support of some legislators and advocacy groups, but drew criticisms from others who viewed it as rent control.
Schwank said the rent control idea seemed to be a non-starter, so instead the bill would impose an annual rent increase based upon the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, with an opportunity to justify higher increases, such as covering operating expenses and repairs.
The other two bills would require 90 days’ notice and opportunity for residents to purchase their community if the owner intends to sell or close it, and would title manufactured homes as real property instead of vehicles, providing homeowners with stronger consumer protections and greater home equity.
Schwank stressed the bills recognize the property rights of manufactured home community owners, who are entitled to a reasonable rate of return on their investment, but said the commonwealth has a role to play in balancing those rights with those of the homeowners.
“We’re going back with renewed energy,” Schwank said.
The process takes time, but she is hoping to get the bills into the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee soon.
Reggie Hockenberry, an advisory team member of the Coalition of Manufactured Home Communities of Pennsylvania, echoed the bills’ bipartisan nature.
Hockenberry told The Center Square, like Schwank, he is optimistic about the bills, and he also recognizes property owners’ rights to make a profit, “but there is also a sense of responsibility to the people who are living in your communities and paying you that money.”
He says the coalition, which has grown to 67 communities across the state, is a force to be reckoned with. They have a well-coordinated effort, communicating through email and their PA Manufactured Housing Issues Facebook page.
The legislation, he said, would help 250,000 Pennsylvania Manufactured Home Community residents. The group urges those residents to contact their state representatives and advocate for support of the legislation.
Fighting for this is the key to independence for many residents and why the coalition is so important, said Hockenberry.
In his community, which he prefers not to mention by name, monthly rent has increased 25% in four years.
The increases are cumulative, with each year’s percentage increase applied to a growing base amount. And while increases are tied to the CPI, he said Pennsylvania’s is typically 2%-3% higher than the federal rate – resulting in significant increases over time.
Residents living there since 2005 have seen their rents more than double, creating financial strain — especially for those on fixed incomes whose earnings have not kept pace with rising expenses for medication, groceries, and utilities.
He knows neighbors who have had to rely on financial assistance from their children, while others have been forced to sell and move in with them.
Hockenberry said that recently, people on their Facebook page have reported monthly increases of $75 to $100. Additionally, “owners are squeezing more money out of them for add-ons,” charging $50-$60 for water, sewer and refuse fees that were previously included. Residents have also complained about water quality and a lack of property maintenance.
Companion House bills by Reps. Liz Hanbidge, D-Blue Bell, Melissa Cerrato, D-Horsham, and Joe Webster, D-Collegeville, have also been proposed.
With over 2,000 communities throughout the commonwealth – an estimated 55,000 households – manufactured homes play a vital role in the state’s housing supply, enabling many to achieve their dreams of homeownership, lawmakers say.
Hockenberry said that while legislation is being crafted, the coalition may be in a holding pattern, but isn’t sitting still. Their membership continues to grow, they have compiled a list of representatives and are lining up media in various areas.
“With what people are telling me privately, it just makes me want to fight that much harder,” he said.
