LANSING – Legislation introduced by state Representative Andy Schor (D-Lansing) that passed the House and Senate but did not make it to the governor’s desk during the lame duck session last year passed the House today. Among other things, 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 due to unsafe and unsanitary conditions – all at taxpayers’ expense.
“I was disappointed to see this bill stall at the end of last term because time ran out,” Schor said. “As shown in my district and in others recently, the health and safety of mobile home residents is currently at risk when parks are being run by bad actor owners and operators. Residents in mobile homes should not have to live with raw sewage on the ground and vermin in their homes. This bill is a good and necessary first step to ensure proper protections for the health and safety of these residents.”
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.”