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Committee hears dispute over counting mobile and manufactured homes toward local affordable-housing totals
Summary
Senators heard conflicting testimony on whether certain manufactured or mobile‑home units should count toward a municipality's affordable housing percentage; the committee held SB900 for further study after testimony from the bill sponsor and advocacy groups.
Senate Bill 900, which would allow certain manufactured or mobile homes to count toward a municipality’s affordable‑housing inventory, was discussed at length and held for further study on April 3.
Sponsor Chairman Filag told the committee the bill would adjust how municipalities count manufactured homes — particularly in age‑restricted parks — toward the statutory 10% affordable housing goal. The sponsor said some manufactured homes in the town the bill targets are individually owned while the land is leased and that the current definition used by the General Assembly excludes some of those units.
The Housing Network of Rhode Island’s executive director, Melina Lodge, testified in strong opposition. Lodge said the statutory language adopted last year was “very intentional” and aimed at protecting residents of privately owned mobile home parks from exploitation; she argued that counting park lots leased from private owners would not increase new housing production and could be used to avoid providing new, deed‑restricted affordable housing. Lodge told senators that pad fees and annual rent adjustments in privately owned parks mean long‑term affordability is not guaranteed by a long ground lease alone.
Senator Rogers and others asked clarifying questions about ownership models, deed restrictions and how residency, ground leases, and resident‑owned co‑ops affect eligibility under existing law. Supporters of including manufactured homes said doing so recognizes affordable ownership options for older adults and other low‑income homeowners.
After the discussion the committee voted to hold SB900 for further study. Committee members asked sponsors and opponents to provide additional information about how common ground‑lease arrangements operate, how rent escalation clauses are used, and what policy protections would be needed to ensure counting such units advances housing stability rather than merely relabeling existing units.
