Manufactured housing has long served as a source of affordable housing across the United States. Unfortunately, many residents are threatened with the loss of their homes through issues related to land tenure, financing and ownership of manufacture housing communities. Those residents who are not faced with loss of housing are often forced to take the burdens of home ownership (real estate taxes) without the benefits (increasing equity, stability, security).
The same threats are facing residents of manufactured housing parks in Pennsylvania. According to a report by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania issued in 2009, manufactured homes make up approximately 11% of the housing stock and are second only to single-family detached homes in Pennsylvania’s rural areas. When urban areas are included, manufactured housing makes up 5% of the state’s housing stock.
The Resident Protection Project
RHLS, through its Resident Protection Project (RPP), is working with national partners to create bring together residents in manufactured housing parks, advocates, developers, and government agencies to collaborate on preservation of manufactured housing.
- We are working with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, ROC-USA Capital and other sources to help Manufactured Housing residents finance the purchase of parks in which they now only rent spaces
- We will provide free legal assistance to help with the financing and acquisition of land in manufactured housing parks
- We will provide technical assistance with the financing and conversion of manufactured housing parks
- We inform residents and resident groups of their rights under the Manufactured Home Community Rights Act and help protect those rights when they are threatened.
Resources
- The Manufactured Home Community Rights Act(updated to reflect the 2012 changes)
- Includes select provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951
- HB 1767 – the 2012 amendment to the MHCRA that took effect December 23, 2012
- Summary of Pennsylvania case law related to manufactured housing (last updated 8/13/2012)
- Assurances of Voluntary Compliance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office
- Enforcement actions from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office
- Several hard-to-find manufactured housing-related cases:
- Adams, et al. v. Palmyra Homes (redacted) – CCP Lebanon
- Davis v. Ellis – CP Bedford
- Perano v. ORD Sewer Authority – Commonwealth Court
- PowerPoint from webinar December, 14 2011
- Brochure describing the Resident Protection Project (online viewing version or print version)
- Brochure detailing manufactured housing park resident rights (online viewing version or print version) (this does not yet reflect the 2012 changes to the MHCRA)
For more information or to request assistance, please contact William B. Shuey at 215.572.7300 x109 or wshuey at rhls dot org. You can also sign up for our manufactured housing mailing list.
Programs in Other States
- Minnesota
- New York
- Vermont (report in pdf)
- New Hampshire
Reports
- An Examination of Mobile Homes in Rural Pennsylvania (pdf)
- AARP report on manufactured housing (pdf)
Other Resources
- National Manufactured Home Owners Association (NMHOA)
- Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) Manufactured Housing page
- National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) Manufactured Housing page
- Resident Owned Communities (ROC)
- NeighborWorks America
- PathStone
