Mobile home rental assist.

AN ACT Relating to providing rental assistance to manufactured/1
mobile home park tenants; amending RCW 59.21.010 and 59.22.050; 2
adding new sections to chapter 59.21 RCW; creating a new section; and 3
making an appropriation. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 59.21 6
RCW to read as follows: 7
(1) A manufactured/mobile home rental assistance program is 8
created to assist low-income tenants of mobile homes or manufactured 9
housing with maintaining an affordable level of rental payments for a 10
mobile home lot. The manufactured/mobile home rental assistance 11
program is administered by the department under the authority of RCW 12
59.22.050. The department may adopt administrative rules to implement 13
this program. 14
(2) Under no circumstances may the department use amounts from 15
the fund established under RCW 59.21.050 to provide the monetary 16
rental assistance authorized in section 2 of this act.17
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 59.21 18
RCW to read as follows: 19
H-0122.2
HOUSE BILL 1365
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Orcutt, Rude, Klicker, Eslick, Jacobsen, Ley,
Dufault, Schmick, Scott, and Nance
Read first time 01/17/25. Referred to Committee on Housing.
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(1) On a monthly basis, the department may give a tenant monetary 1
rental assistance for the purpose of assisting the tenant in the 2
payment of rent for a mobile home lot. 3
(2) Rental assistance may not exceed the lesser of $200 or 50 4
percent of the monthly rent for the mobile home lot.5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 59.21 6
RCW to read as follows: 7
(1) A tenant may apply to the department to receive monetary 8
rental assistance. The department shall consider the following 9
factors in determining the eligibility of applicants to receive 10
monetary rental assistance, and the amount of that assistance:11
(a) The applicant is a low-income tenant, which has the same 12
meaning as low-income household in RCW 59.21.010; 13
(b) The applicant is over the age of 55; and 14
(c) The applicant is a tenant who has experienced a rent increase 15
that outpaces inflation, as defined by the percentage change in the 16
implicit price deflator published by the United States department of 17
commerce. 18
(2) Once a tenant is approved for monetary rental assistance, the 19
tenant is entitled to such assistance on a monthly basis for one 20
year, unless a change in circumstance occurs earlier that requires an 21
adjustment or termination of such assistance. The tenant is required 22
to notify the department of any change in circumstance, including a 23
change in household income that impacts the tenant's low-income 24
status, or a change in monthly rent for the mobile home lot. In the 25
case of change in circumstance, the department shall adjust or 26
terminate the amount of the monthly monetary rental assistance as 27
appropriate. 28
(3) A tenant must reapply annually to receive monetary assistance 29
to continue to receive such assistance. 30
Sec. 4. RCW 59.21.010 and 2023 c 259 s 1 are each amended to 31
read as follows: 32
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in 33
this section apply throughout this chapter. 34
(1) "Assignee" means an individual or entity who has agreed to 35
advance allowable relocation assistance expenses in exchange for the 36
assignment and transfer of a right to reimbursement from the fund.37
(2) "Department" means the department of commerce.38
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(3) "Director" means the director of the department of commerce.1
(4) "Fund" means the manufactured/mobile home park relocation 2
fund established under RCW 59.21.050. 3
(5) "Landlord" or "park-owner" means the owner of the 4
manufactured/mobile home park that is being closed at the time 5
relocation assistance is provided. 6
(6) "Low-income household" means a single person, family, or 7
unrelated persons living together whose adjusted income is less than 8
80 percent of the median family income, adjusted for household size, 9
for the county where the manufactured/mobile home is located.10
(7) "Manufactured housing" has the same meaning as in RCW 11
59.22.020.12
(8) "Manufactured/mobile home park" or "park" means real property 13
that is rented or held out for rent to others for the placement of 14
two or more manufactured/mobile homes for the primary purpose of 15
production of income, except where the real property is rented or 16
held out for rent for seasonal recreational purpose only and is not 17
intended for year-round occupancy. 18
(((8))) (9) "Mobile home" has the same meaning as in RCW 19
43.22.335.20
(10) "Mobile home lot" has the same meaning as in RCW 59.20.030.21
(11) "Relocate" means to do one of the following:22
(a) Remove a manufactured/mobile home from a manufactured/mobile 23
home park being closed and reinstall it in another location;24
(b) Remove a manufactured/mobile home from a manufactured/mobile 25
home park being closed and demolish and dispose of it and secure 26
other housing; or 27
(c) Remove a manufactured/mobile home from a manufactured/mobile 28
home park being closed by selling or gifting the home to a third 29
party and secure other housing. 30
(((9))) (12) "Relocation assistance" means the monetary 31
assistance provided under this chapter, including reimbursement for 32
the costs of relocation as well as cash assistance provided to allow 33
the tenant to secure new housing. 34
(((10))) (13) "Tenant" means a person ((that)) who owns a 35
manufactured/mobile home located on a rented lot in a manufactured/36
mobile home park and rents the manufactured/mobile home lot for a 37
term of one month or longer. 38
(((11))) (14) "Third party" means a person or persons who 39
purchase or are gifted a tenant's home, with the condition they are 40
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responsible for removing the home on or prior to the park closure 1
date and relocate the home under subsection (((8))) (11)(a) or (b) of 2
this section. The third party is not entitled to relocation 3
assistance related to relocation of the purchased or gifted home.4
Sec. 5. RCW 59.22.050 and 2011 c 158 s 2 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
In order to provide general assistance to resident organizations, 7
qualified tenant organizations, and tenants, the department shall 8
establish an office of mobile/manufactured home relocation and rental 9
assistance. This office shall: 10
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 11
specific purpose, provide, either directly or through contracted 12
services, technical assistance to qualified tenant organizations as 13
defined in RCW 59.20.030 and resident organizations or persons in the 14
process of forming a resident organization pursuant to this chapter. 15
The office will keep records of its activities in this area.16
(2) Administer the mobile home relocation assistance program 17
established in chapter 59.21 RCW, including verifying the eligibility 18
of tenants for relocation assistance. 19
(3) Administer the manufactured/mobile home rental assistance 20
program established in section 1 of this act, including verifying the 21
initial and continued eligibility of tenants for monetary rental 22
assistance.23
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The sum of $2,000,000, or as much thereof 24
as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 25
30, 2026, from the general fund to the department of commerce for the 26
purposes of this act.27
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. If specific funding for the purposes of 28
this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not 29
provided by June 30, 2025, in the omnibus appropriations act, this 30
act is null and void.31
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