Keep Mobile Homes Affordable Act

This bill aims to protect people living in manufactured home communities (mobile home parks) from unfair lot (pad) prices and sharp rent hikes. It tells the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to investigate whether pad prices are being pushed up by manipulation or price gouging, and to post a public report within 270 days with a long-term plan to address the problem. The plan must look at impacts by race, gender, and income, and explain how big investors affect seniors and underserved communities.

HUD must also keep an eye on who is buying manufactured homes and pad sites in each local market. If any one buyer has bought more than 2,500 homes or pads in a market since January 1, 2015, HUD must investigate for price gouging, rent increases far above the local median, or failing to provide utilities, and then post a report within a year after the investigation ends. A “manufactured home community” is defined as a community, court, or park set up for manufactured homes where residents lease the pad and/or the home for mainly residential use.

Key points

• Who is affected: Residents of manufactured home communities, especially seniors and underserved groups; large investors and other big buyers; HUD as the enforcing agency.
• What changes: HUD must investigate pad pricing and issue a public report with a long-term strategy; HUD must monitor large purchases and investigate if one buyer crosses the 2,500 threshold in a market and shows signs of gouging, excessive rent hikes, or utility failures.
• When: First report due within 270 days after the bill becomes law; investigations triggered by purchases since January 1, 2015; follow-up reports due within one year after each investigation ends.