Protect the rights of mobile home park residents and strengthen housing stability for New Mexico

New Mexicans need access to stable, affordable housing. Mobile home parks are one of the largest affordable housing options in New Mexico, with 27% of our state’s housing consisting of mobile homes. However, mobile home park residents usually own their mobile home but lease the land – making them inherently vulnerable to bad and exploitative practices. The Mobile Home Park Act was passed by the Legislature in 1983 to provide additional legal protections for mobile home park residents, but has not been updated since. 

A bill to modernize New Mexico’s Mobile Home Park Act and strengthen housing stability is currently making its way through the legislature, and will be heard in its first committee on Monday afternoon.

SB 298, sponsored by Sen. O’Neill and Sen. Correa Hemphill would protect families who live in mobile home parks by:

• Requiring that park management provide residents with a written copy of the rental agreement;
• Increasing the amount of time a resident can get caught up on rent after receiving notice from three day to forty-five days;
• Requiring landlords to apply payments made to delinquent rent first, so families are less likely to be evicted when they make payments;
• Requiring advance notice of the owner’s intent to sell the park and giving resident’s associations priority should they wish to purchase the park;
• Limiting the frequency of and amount of rental increases.

Make your voice heard!

Speak out at the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee hearing Monday, February 20, at 1:30pm and submit public comments asking legislators to pass SB 298 to modernize our laws and make them fair for New Mexico families who live in mobile home parks.

Join us in person at the New Mexico State Capitol Building, 490 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501, Room 311.

Join via zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9124526531 or via telephone +1 253-215-8782, webinar ID:912 452 6531

Things you can highlight in your public comment:

• New Mexico is facing a severe shortage of affordable housing
• Over 200,000 New Mexico households pay more than 30 percent of their income toward housing
• SB 298 would modernize the protections that mobile home park residents are entitled to
• SB 298 would make common sense updates to existing law that would increase fairness and transparency between mobile home park residents and mobile home park owners
• SB 298 would be a win-win for residents and owners alike, allowing residents enough time to catch up on rent so that owners are paid the money they are owed

Tips for public comment:

The sponsors will introduce SB 298 into discussion and the Chair will ask who is in support. At that time, raise your hand. The Chair will usually allow 2 minutes per comment. Please state your name, where you’re from, that you support the bill, and why it’s important to protect the rights of New Mexican families who live in mobile home parks.