LANSING – Legislation introduced by state Representative Andy Schor (D-Lansing) that passed the House last month will head to the Senate floor after passing the Senate Regulatory Reform Committee today.
House Bill 4054 requires better communication between the number of agencies involved in mobile home park oversight and increases fines for bad actors whose inaction threatens the health and safety of mobile home park residents. Problems were exposed earlier last year during a situation at the Life O’Riley Mobile Home Park in Lansing, which was condemned for alarming sanitation and public health issues. Many residents at the park lost their homes and were forced to move because of unsafe and unsanitary conditions – all at taxpayers’ expense.
“This bill is very important to prevent problems like the Life O’Reilly incident in Lansing and other incidents around the state. Although this legislation ran out of time at the end of last year, I’m happy that it is moving quickly through the process this session,” Schor said. “I appreciate the action of the Senate Regulatory Reform Committee, and I hope to see this pass the Senate and make it to the governor’s desk very soon.”
Among other things, HB 4054 would amend the Mobile Home Commission Act to require the Manufactured Housing Commission to prepare a detailed, written explanation of the powers and duties of local governments with respect to mobile home parks, then post and maintain that explanation online. The bill requires state agencies to pass along any complaints it receives about conditions in mobile home parks to local governments, and it requires the owner of a distressed mobile home park to post financial assurance in the form of a bond, cash deposit or other financial arrangement to ensure the cleanup and repair of a distressed park. All of these measures are meant to provide for better communication and more options for dealing with problematic mobile home parks throughout Michigan.
“Communication is key between the state and local agencies, and we need to ensure that bad actors are held accountable,” Schor said. “I appreciate the bipartisan support of this bill and look forward to working with the Senate to quickly move this to the governor’s desk for his signature.”