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NOAH Supports HB 3007 which provides residents of Manufactured home communities the opportunity to make an offer to purchase

HB 3007 requires owners of residential facilities to offer tenants, alone or in cooperation with a nonprofit organization or housing authority, the opportunity to purchase before the facility can be offered for sale to a third party.  The bill is sponsored by Rep. Nathanson, and is supported by the Manufactured Housing/Oregon State Tenants Association, as well as the Oregon Housing Alliance.  The Network for Oregon Affordable Housing (NOAH) strongly supports HB 3007.

Manufactured homes have traditionally provided some of Oregon’s most affordable homeownership opportunities and are a critical source of affordable housing for homeowners with lower incomes.  There are an estimated 64,325 people currently living in 1,158 manufactured home parks in Oregon. 54% of the residents are 55 years of age or older and 66% have a household income of less than $30,000 per year.  14% have household incomes under $14,000 per year.
Over 80% of the manufactured homes in Oregon on rented land are owner-occupied. These homeowners lease space in a manufactured home community but do not own the land on which their homes sit.  With very limited protections under the law, thousands of these homeowners face displacement should park owners decide to close the community and covert the land to some other use.
HB 3007 will provide residents an opportunity to offer to purchase the park where their homes are located and will help preserve this critical source of affordable housing.  Encouraging resident ownership of manufactured home parks improves the neighborhood and brings greater stability and security for the community.
For more than 20 years NOAH has provided financing for new and existing affordable multifamily rental housing here in Oregon.  We are committed to protecting and preserving Oregon’s existing affordable housing and since 2009, we have provided financing for Manufactured Home Park acquisitions by the community’s residents. 

— Posted on 4/09/2013