Senator seeks $5 million to replace pre‑1980 manufactured homes in three southwest Oregon counties

Senator David Brock Smith told the Senate Committee on Housing and Development on Feb. 12 that Senate Bill 499 would appropriate $5 million to the Oregon Housing and Community Services Manufactured Home Preservation Fund to provide loans for replacement of manufactured homes built before 1980 in Coos, Curry and Douglas counties.

Senator Brock Smith, who represents District 1 in southwest Oregon, said the bill builds on a prior local pilot called ReHome Oregon, funded in part with a USDA grant, and implemented locally by NeighborWorks Umpqua. He told the committee that a health needs assessment in Curry County found a high share of older manufactured homes, elevated rates of respiratory illness and energy deficiencies that often leave low‑income residents burdened by very high heating costs.

Erica Mills, CEO of NeighborWorks Umpqua, described the conditions she encountered in pre‑1980 manufactured homes and said replacement can be more cost‑effective than repeated major repairs. Mills said one household moved from about $600 per month in energy bills to roughly $100 per month after replacement; she also told the committee that on average older single‑wide manufactured homes had typical energy costs of about $300 per month. Mills said a 2017 replacement cost estimate used in local analyses was approximately $80,000 per home. Those figures were provided during testimony as program examples and the committee asked for updated, inflation‑adjusted cost estimates.

Witnesses and committee members discussed scope and scale: a simple arithmetic estimate would suggest the $5 million appropriation could replace roughly 62 homes at the $80,000 per‑home figure used in earlier local work, but proponents said the pilot is intended to demonstrate and leverage local capacity and to be matched with other public and private resources. NeighborWorks Umpqua said local nonprofit capacity and preexisting customer lists make quick deployment possible in the three counties.

Supporters also emphasized secondary benefits: the initial ReHome Oregon pilot reported reductions in emergency health care usage for some households and an expected boost to local economies through reduced utility costs and improved housing conditions. Members asked for additional data on program repayment terms, loan structure (amortized loans versus forgivable loans), and the amount of program income that could be revolved back into future projects. NeighborWorks Umpqua said loan terms vary by program design and that some loans are forgivable while others are amortized; the organization said it expects to recover enough to replenish part of a revolving fund but not to generate market‑rate returns.

No committee vote was taken. The public hearing included testimony from Senator Brock Smith and NeighborWorks Umpqua; committee members requested updated cost estimates, program performance data from prior rounds, and information on how the proposed state funds would be paired with other sources.