It's been nearly 40 years since Michigan's manufactured housing laws have been significantly overhauled.
People living in manufactured home communities who rent the land their homes are on say a package of bills introduced in the state Senate would give them more protection from unfair and negligent actions by owners.
Deb Campbell is a resident of a senior community of manufactured homes. She's also a member of the advocacy group MHAction. The group took part in negotiations with state agencies, the state's manufactured homes trade association, and others to draft the bills.
Campbell said the bills are a welcome sign of attention finally being paid to a long-neglected population in Michigan.
"People in manufactured home communities are invisible to others," she said. "And I just get the feeling sometimes, that the legislators don't think about our manufactured home community, when they house some of our most vulnerable populations — vulnerable to abuse — meaning our seniors, the working poor, disabled, and our veterans."
One of the most crucial bills, she said, is one that would protect the equity homeowners have in their home. Currently, the owners of manufactured home communities can seize homes that evicted owners are unable to move, or can't afford to move. The owners lose all the equity they've built in the house.
Senate Bill 936 would change that.
"The park (could) no longer just take your home. So if you're facing eviction, you could choose to sell it on site. You could choose to hire a realtor to sell it. You could even give the title over to the park. But if the park gets your house, you get the value, less what you might owe," said Campbell.
"Manufactured housing communities are home to thousands of working families, seniors, and retirees across Michigan," said Senator John Cherry, one of the sponsors of the bills. "For too long, the laws governing these communities have not kept up with the realities residents face on the ground, from water shutoffs and rising lots rents, to their entire community being sold out from under them."
Other bills would:
- Create a publicly searchable database of licensed parks and their owners, and establish dedicated funds for enforcement, resident hardship assistance, and resident purchase financing.
- Require annual inspections, prohibit utility markups above the increase charged by the actual provider, and require 12 months' notice before a park can terminate tenancies.
- Require owners who are selling a park to give residents a right of first negotiation, and increase penalties to $250,000 for operating without a license.
- Create a 15% income tax credit for park owners who sell to residents or a residents' association.
The Michigan Manufactured Housing Association, the state's trade group for the industry, said it supports the bills.
"Senate Bills 934–939 are the result of extensive collaboration among stakeholders committed to keeping Michigan’s manufactured housing communities safe, clean, welcoming, and affordable," the group said.
"The Michigan Manufactured Housing Association worked closely with lead sponsor Senator John Cherry and resident advocates to develop these reforms. We urge the Legislature to work together and pass these bills promptly."
Campbell said like hers, many manufactured home communities are beautiful, wooded, and highly social places to live, undeserving of the NIMBY stigma.
"I can't properly describe the peace of mind and sense of belonging we experience in our park, nothing like other 'stick-built' neighborhoods."
She said local governments could help ease the state's housing shortage by allowing more to be created.
