PA State Senator Jay Costa
Good morning, everyone. Wonderful to see all of you here today.
My name is Jay Costa, and I have the honor and privilege of serving as the Democratic leader in the Pennsylvania Senate. Thank you very much for all of you being here to support two very important pieces of legislation, one in the House, one in the Senate.
It’s great to be joined by so many manufactured housing homeowners from all over this commonwealth today, and I hope you are making the rounds and talking to legislators about what we need to approach and what we need to accomplish in this building to ensure that you all are protected as we go forward. My good friend and colleague, Senator Judy Schwank, who has championed protecting manufactured home communities in Pennsylvania. Is unfortunately attending a funeral back in her district, of a police officer who passed away last week, and she would love to have been here, of course, to have this conversation with all of you.
Many people may not be aware of the growing issues affecting Pennsylvania and other states across the country Manufactured home communities are being targeted by out-of-state investment firms that have one thing in mind, one interest, and that is profits. These firms are dramatically causing lots of tenants and causing rents to increase, while allowing services and also the upkeep in those communities to deteriorate, and that’s something we just simply cannot afford to allow to take place. This practice is eroding one of the last remaining sources of truly affordable housing.
And we talk a lot about affordable housing across this commonwealth in our crisis and across the country. Well, this effort by private equity firms to buy up manufactured home communities and jack up rates is a critical situation that we need to address, and oftentimes, quite frankly, goes unrecognized and forgotten about. And that’s part of the concern that we have, and that’s why we need to have this conversation here today in this Capitol Building.
But there is good news on our front, our colleagues in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives have taken action. Last year, I believe it was last March, the House passed House Bill 1250, introduced by Representative Liz Hanbidge who’s here, and you’ll hear from her momentarily, who is here with us today to provide common sense, and her bill provides common sense protections for manufactured homeowners across the commonwealth.
Senator Schwank similarly has introduced a bill, and her bill is Senate Bill 745, as well as our governor, Josh Shapiro, who is calling for reforms in this space, in this area, as part of his most recent budget proposal as it relates to housing and affordability and what steps need to be taken. As I mentioned, House Bill 1250 has passed the House with bipartisan support. Senator Schwank’s bill also has bipartisan support in the Senate, and I can stand here and tell you that all of our members of the Senate Democratic caucus stand ready to support House Bill 1250 or Senate Schwank’s bill as well.
All we need to do is get the measure to the floor for a vote. That’s what we need to be able to do. So we are here to be able to deliver those votes for this program and these two pieces of legislation if given the opportunity. With regard to Senator Schwank’s bill, the good news is just yesterday, that bill was reported from committee unanimously, and now will make its way onto the Senate calendar, and our hope is that it’ll proceed to the first reading. It’s already given a first reading. It’ll be given a second, hopefully the third reading, so that by the time we come back here in the week of June 22nd, we will have the opportunity, potentially, to vote on both of these bills as we move forward.
So we continue to call on our colleagues in the Republican caucus to join us in protecting all of you and residents of the manufactured home communities And we’re calling on them to take steps to protect all of you, our veterans, our seniors, individuals with disabilities, to ensure that they know, and those are the folks who disproportionately are residing in these manufactured homes across our region, that we make certain that we look forward to the time when we can be able to eradicate these individuals, these organizations, the private equity firms, and other investment firms that are coming in, jacking up rates, and allowing the properties to deteriorate.
So you’ve got our commitment that we’ll be working with you on behalf of the Senate, and I’m really proud to bring up Representative Hanbidge, who’s going to talk about her legislation as well. But thank all of you for being here today and look forward to working with you as you continue to make your rounds through the Capitol Building today and over the weeks to come.
PA State Representative Elizabeth Hanbridge
Thank you Representatives, thank you, Senator, and thank you for your support. My name is Liz Hanbidge, I am the prime sponsor of House Bill 1250. Today marks 364 days since House Bill 1250 passed the Pennsylvania House with strong bipartisan support. 364 days that manufactured homeowners in Pennsylvania have waited for the Senate to act. 364 days while private equity firms and corporate landlords have continued raising lot rents on seniors, veterans, working families, and people living on fixed incomes. 364 days of silence from a Senate unwilling to stand up for its own constituents. Let’s be clear what this bill is about.
Manufactured housing is one of the last pathways to affordable homeownership left in Pennsylvania. 55,000 families across the commonwealth live in manufactured homes These are not temporary homes. They are permanent communities where people are raising families, where they’ve retired, where they serve our country, and where they’ve built their lives. But while these families own their homes, they do not own the land underneath them.
And that means they’re trapped when corporations, corporate landlords, and private equity firms impose massive rent hikes. These companies know that most homeowners cannot afford to move their homes. In most cases, moving a manufactured home is sometimes tens of thousands of dollars, if not impossible. Private equity knows this. In fact, national reporting has shown that Wall Street investors openly view manufactured communities as cash cows. Cash cows. That is how some of these firms described communities filled with seniors, veterans, retirees, and working families. Not neighborhoods, not homes, not people. Cash cows. Why? Because they know that residents are effectively captive. They know families cannot pick up and leave when rent spikes. Bad actors know that fear and instability can be turned into profit.
That is exactly why we are seeing aggressive consolidation of manufactured home communities by private equity firms across the country, followed by steep rent increases that push vulnerable families closer and closer to the edge. And families are left with an impossible choice: pay whatever rent increase is demanded, or risk losing the home that they’ve worked their entire lives to obtain. For nearly a year, the Senate has done nothing to stop this. House Bill 1250 provides reasonable protections against excessive and unjustified rent hikes. It creates fairness, predictability, and stability while still allowing community owners to operate successfully. That’s why Democrats and Republicans in the House came together to pass it. Because housing affordability should never be a partisan issue. But somewhere between the House and the Senate, the voices of Pennsylvania’s homeowners were drowned out by the voices of powerful corporate interests.
So today, I have a question for the Senate. Who are you here to represent? The seniors terrified of losing their homes, or private equity firms squeezing every last dollar out of them? The veterans trying to stay in the communities they built, or corporate landlords treating housing like a commodity? The people you represent, or the bad actors taking advantage of your constituents?
Because every single day that this bill sits without action is another day Pennsylvania families live in fear of the next rent increase they cannot afford. I want people across the Commonwealth, I want people at home, and I want you here in the capital who are here today, to ask your senator simple questions. Why won’t you move House Bill 1250? Ask them why a bipartisan bill that passed nearly a year ago has not received action. Ask them why they are protecting corporate profits over Pennsylvania homeowners. Ask them why affordable housing matters less than the demands of the lobbyists of private equity firms. Ask your senator why they haven’t filed a discharge resolution to move the bill. Ask them why they haven’t sent out or signed on to a dear colleague’s letter asking for their support. Ask them why they aren’t protecting you. The House acted. The people acted. Now the Senate needs to decide which side it’s on. Tell the Senate to stop protecting predatory practices, stop hiding behind excuses. It’s time to stand with Pennsylvania homeowners and pass House Bill. And with my apologies, I have to report to the floor. So thank you for being here. Thank you
Bob Besecker, Coalition of Manufactured Home Communities of Pa
So, coalition members, are you fed up with price gouging lot fee increases yet? Yes Say what? Yes Are you sure? Yes Well, yes, we are, and we’re going to talk about it. I’m Bob Beisecker, the founder of the Coalition of Manufactured Home Communities of Pennsylvania, currently reaching tens of thousands of residents among our member communities. We reach in the east all the way from the Delaware River, in the west all the way to the Allegheny River, to the north to Lake Erie, and to the south to the Mason-Dixon line. We are all unpaid volunteers, and we’re all residents of manufactured home communities in Pennsylvania. Our goal is simple, or at least it should be, and that is have the Pennsylvania Senate pass legislation now in their possession to put an end to the ongoing price gouging of Pennsylvania homeowners living in manufactured home communities on lot fees. Charged by unscrupulous large corporations and private equity firms. Amen. And by the way, you are free to yell and applaud and clap and chant whenever you want. Go Philly.
At our press conference last June, here in the capital, the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee had just received our three bills, House Bill 1250, Senate Bill 745, and Senate Bill 746. We were confident that they would act quickly to protect our residents, our veterans, most Vietnam-era veterans, widows, disabled, and elderly But, with the exception of Senate Bill 746, they have not. And why? I’ll tell you in a minute. First of all, about, numbers sometimes get confusing, and we don’t know what they actually mean Senate Bill 746, that bill is the right to purchase bill, which would give communities, if their community is put up for sale, to have the right to purchase it themselves. And that is possible. So, that’s the one that passed out of the Senate committee yesterday.
The two rent justification bills, House Bill 1250 and Senate Bill 745, they still languish. So those are the two critical bills relative to rent, and we need action on those. But, why haven’t they acted yet? It’s largely because of the lobbyists, paid for by trades groups, supported by the corporations and private equity firms, using money that they have taken from us through their price gouging. We’re paying for the actions they are taking to prevent the passage of these bills.
Senators, throughout the last months, we have communicated with all of you and met with most of you or your staff members. We have answered any questions you’ve asked us. Key people in the Senate know we are making every effort to get this legislation passed. But time is up. Hold a hearing this month, June, and just pass the bills!
Pass the bills! Pass the bills! Pass the bills! Pass the bills! Pass the bills! Pass the bills! Pass the bills! Pass the bills! Pass the bills! Pass the bills!
Indeed The 36,000 adult residents of manufactured housing in Pennsylvania must register to vote now. Get all of your friends and relatives to register also. In November, we will gladly support those who support and protect us. You will know who they are. We will tell you.
Yes! Tell us!
Residents of manufactured home communities are not going to sit idly by for the legislative clock to run out, which would be the end of this year. We can, and we will, fight for our survival. Our relatives and friends in Pennsylvania will join us in this fight. Others hearing about this for the first time will join us, too. Pennsylvania residents will not tolerate the abuse of its most vulnerable residents by greedy private equity firms. They will not. Not when members of the Pennsylvania Senate can put an end to it immediately. Just pass the bills!
Pass the bills!
Can you imagine our elected officials sitting by while every month that passes means financial ruin and the loss of homes for more residents of manufactured housing? That’s happening. Can you imagine senators sitting by, watching the ruination of manufactured home communities across the commonwealth, when everybody in this building knows we have a huge housing problem in Pennsylvania? Just pass the bills! Pass the bills!
Throughout history, the failure of legislators anywhere in this country who fail to protect their abused citizens have turned many a majority party into a minority party. Just pass the bills! To our friends in the media, regional, statewide, nationally, we are ready to speak with you in person, by Zoom, or by phone. Email me at pennsylvaniamedia@gmailcom, and we’ll make it happen. To our friends in the Senate, you can support your most vulnerable residents, or you can support greedy, price gouging, private equity firms Which will it be?
We deserve to know. We want action, and we want it now. Housing isn’t just policy, it’s personal. Just pass the bills! Coalition members, I thank you so much for being here today. I know some of you came a long way to be here, and we really appreciate it If you have a chance, stop by and see your senator before you leave If you want to know how to find them, look me up, and I’ll tell you exactly where they are. Thank you.
Vanessa Raymond-Garcia, Regional Housing Legal Services
Good morning. Thank you, Senator Schwank and Representative Hambidge, for your leadership on this incredibly important issue. My name is Vanessa Raymond-Garcia, and I’m the senior policy analyst with Regional Housing Legal Services, RHLS for short. RHLS is a nonprofit law firm with a mission to create and protect safe, affordable housing by providing legal representation to nonprofit affordable housing developers, advancing policy solutions, and working alongside communities across Pennsylvania. Our vision is a future where everyone, regardless of income, race, or background, has a safe, affordable home in a community where they can thrive.
Along with Community Justice Project, we are proud to represent and work in partnership with the Coalition for Manufactured Home Communities, a grassroots network of residents from more than 100 manufactured home communities across Pennsylvania. Their mission is simple and powerful: to protect manufactured homeowners from unfair practices and ensure they can remain in their homes with dignity, stability, and fairness.
Today, we’re here because that stability is under threat. Manufactured home residents occupy a unique position in our housing system. They own their homes but rent the land underneath them. And unlike other renters, they cannot simply move when costs rise. Moving a manufactured home, as you’ve already heard, is extremely expensive and often impossible due to lack available lots. That makes these homeowners uniquely vulnerable. Over the past decade, we’ve seen a significant shift in ownership of manufactured home communities.
Private equity firms and institutional investors are increasingly acquiring these properties. Their model often depends on rapidly increasing revenues, primarily through higher lot rents. The result is what we’ve heard directly from residents like you across Pennsylvania. Rent increases of 50%, 75%, and even more than doubling in a really short period of time. Declining community conditions and growing financial strain on households already living on tight budgets, including seniors and individuals with disabilities. At the same time, rising lot rent doesn’t just affect monthly affordability, it erodes wealth. For every increase in rent, residents can lose significant equity in the homes that they own.
So, this is not just a housing issue. It’s a stability issue, it’s a fairness issue, and it’s a wealth preservation issue. HB 1250 and SB 745 provide a balanced and practical solution. It’s important to be clear, this is not rent control. Community owners retain the ability to raise rents every year as a matter of right, tied to inflation. But when increases go beyond that threshold, the bill introduces a simple concept. Those increases must be justified by actual increases in operating costs. That’s lot rent justification. It’s already in place in multiple states, and we’ve seen that it works. Protects homeowners from unjustified excessive increases while ensuring that community owners can continue to operate their properties and earn a fair return. At its core, these bills restore balance .Housing is not just an asset. It’s the foundation of family and community life. Yet increasingly, we’re seeing housing treated as a commodity and for short-term profit. HB 1250 and SB 745 push back on that trend in a very targeted way. They ensure that homeownership in manufactured communities remains affordable, stable, and sustainable.
This legislation gives homeowners something they currently lack, predictability in their housing costs, transparency in how increases are determined, and a fair process to challenge unreasonable increases. We urge the Senate to pass HB 1250 and SB 745 because no Pennsylvanian should have to choose between paying for their home, their food, or their medicine, and no homeowner should be priced out of a home that they already own.
Thank you.
Senator Jay Costa
So let me start by thanking all of you, of course, for being here. The Homeowners Association, Regional Housing and Legal Services, and our colleagues, Representative Hambrick, and also Senator Schwank. Now, just very brief, we have a few moments for a couple of questions. Anybody has any questions we can try to answer?
Kara Jeffers
I’m Kara Jeffers with Erie News Now So if there’s anyone from Erie, Crawford, Mercer, Warren area, come talk to me I would love to talk to you. For our speakers, I think it was interesting talking about there’s linking the rents to the CPI, but also sometimes the concerns there is infrastructure issues that are arising. Some of the properties can be older. Do you feel like the bill gives enough leeway for owners to address those infrastructure issues?
Jay Costa: I do think there’s balance that’s reflected in the bill to be able to address those type of things I’m not sure whether or not anybody has any other responses to that, but that’s my expectation
Kara Jeffers: And then do we have any open dialogue with Senate Republicans right now, especially on urban affairs, on why 1250 isn’t running, if anything, that they’re disagreeing on right now?
Jay Costa: So I’ve not had the chance to have a specific dialogue about Senate Bill 1250 with our Senate Republican colleagues. We will do that. And all of you are going to be able to do that as well while you’re here today. But I do know that there have been conversations within the committee, particularly as it relates to the bills that we referenced earlier.
Kara Jeffers: Anyone from Northwest Pennsylvania, come see me afterwards.
Jay Costa: Thanks, everybody. Yes, ma’am?
Audience member: Besides the certain senators that are in favor of the large corporations, okay, what are their reasoning to not, besides supporting the large corporations, what is the topics or the items that they’re arguing against?
Jay Costa: So I can’t speak for the folks who are not supportive of the bill or as to why it’s not moving. I can’t look at their motives. But what I suspect is that they believe it may be some form of rent control or some form of other obstacles it puts in the way of these private equity firms and these other firms that are trying to purchase these properties or manage these properties, and for them to make an appropriate level of profit.
These private equity firms come together to be able to make money, and they have guarantees that they tell people they need to meet. I think that’s likely the reasons why, that that’s what they’re hearing from, was mentioned earlier, some of the private equity firm legislators, excuse me, government relations folks who are speaking to them on the bill and their reluctance to be able to want to move it. All right Yes, one more question then I got to run up to the floor
Audience member: Has the Senate been unofficially hold as if you would this go forward?
Jay Costa: As I mentioned at the outset, we’re prepared to provide 23 votes of the 26 votes necessary. I do believe that this measure gets to the floor, it gets more than enough votes to pass. In the Senate.
Audience member: You’re saying that it’s mainly the Republican side that is not on board?
Jay Costa: Well, our Republican sides control the calendar. They’re the majority party. So they control what bills come to the Senate floor for a vote. We don’t control that If we did, that would be a different story. We wouldn’t be standing here today. We wouldn’t have wasted 364 days. We would have already passed it by now. But we don’t control that.
Thank you all very much. Thank you for being here.
Please visit your senators and talk to them about it. Thank you very much.
