Lawmakers hear case to boost manufactured‑home park redevelopment funding

Representative Norris brought forward House File 14‑17 to expand funding for the Manufactured Home Community Redevelopment (MHCR) program, which funds infrastructure repairs and preservation in manufactured‑home parks. Norris said the program serves approximately 40,000 homes statewide and that base funding of $1 million per year is severely oversubscribed.

Norris described the bill’s proposal to appropriate an additional $15 million in ongoing base funding and noted that preservation costs are modest compared with new construction — roughly $8,000–$25,000 per home for critical upgrades.

Bev Adrian, president of the Woodlawn Terrace Cooperative in Richfield, described how a grant helped her cooperative convert to city water and add units while noting remaining needs such as sewer relining. Sam Estes of CoNorth summarized program impact: MHCR awarded more than $20 million in the first five years, supported improvements in 11 communities, and preserved more than 800 homes at about $25,000 per lot; he said demand exceeds supply by tens of millions of dollars and urged increasing the base appropriation to $15 million per year.

Several members expressed support and asked where the additional funding would come from; supporters suggested exploring bonding or other housing infrastructure dollars. Representative Johnson highlighted concerns about private equity purchases and stressed the value of tools that help residents and cooperatives maintain affordable parks.

The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the housing omnibus. Committee members asked for additional data and suggested collaboration to identify potential funding sources.