HJ82: Manufactured housing; recognizing importance of communities.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 82

Offered January 10, 2018
Prefiled January 9, 2018
Recognizing the importance of manufactured housing communities.
Patron-- Adams, D.M.

Committee Referral Pending

WHEREAS, there are an estimated 184,000 units of manufactured housing in Virginia, representing more than five percent of the total housing stock in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, manufactured housing is the least expensive form of homeownership available, making it an important housing option to Virginians with lower household incomes; and

WHEREAS, 20 percent of these homes were built prior to 1976, before the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) implemented minimum building standards governing the production of manufactured homes; older units have a higher risk of fire, poor indoor air quality, and a lack of a thermal envelope, putting the safety and health of residents at risk; and

WHEREAS, manufactured housing communities, sometimes referred to as parks, are under threat in many Virginia localities due to health and safety code violations in aging units or inadequate plumbing or electric infrastructure in a park, as cited by localities; and

WHEREAS, many owners of manufactured housing units have no means to move their homes to another location in the event that the park where they reside is condemned or converted to another use; and

WHEREAS, manufactured housing is now constructed to high standards of quality under HUD regulations that ensure a safer, more comfortable, and energy efficient living environment; and

WHEREAS, a manufactured home's status as chattel property in Virginia presents challenges to securing financing for the purchase of these units; and

WHEREAS, new ownership models for manufactured housing communities, including ownership by residents, nonprofit organizations, or community land trusts, have resulted in more stable, sustainable, and safe communities for residents; and

WHEREAS, a coalition of housing, homelessness, legal aid, and human services nonprofit organizations has formed to support communities of low-income families living in manufactured home parks by working to ensure access to legal, financial, and material resources and a favorable policy environment; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly recognize the importance of manufactured housing communities, which offer quality and affordable housing and are a vital component of the housing sector in the Commonwealth; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit a copy of this resolution to the Virginia Manufactured Housing Board, requesting that the board further disseminate copies of this resolution to its respective constituents so that they may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter.