Manufactured-home bills near expiration, community in crisis without legislative action | Pennsylvania News
In a follow-up to a subject we’ve been following for years…
Manufactured-home owners got a recent boost during Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget address. As stalled legislation is set to run out of time, Shapiro is urging action, as are many living in those communities.
“We’re paying a lot of attention. I mean, they’re our lifeline,” said manufactured-home resident Reggie Hockenberry.
He is referring to multiple state bills that address the manufactured-home community.
“Our bills have been in legislation in front of the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee since June of 2025,” he added.
That committee includes Lehigh Valley Sens. Jarrett Coleman, a Republican, and Nick Miller, a Democrat. If not voted on this year, the bills expire.
“About 36% of the residents are widows. They’re going to be priced out of their homes. There’s no two ways about it,” said Bob Besecker.
He is the founder of the Coalition of Manufactured Home Communities of Pennsylvania. Across Pennsylvania, there are over 2,200 of these communities—where residents own the home but rent the land it’s on. Private equity firms are buying more and more; some residents have seen yearly rate hikes as high as 50%, many of them on fixed incomes.
“It’s not a crisis that’s coming. It’s a crisis that’s here now,” Besecker said.
Besecker’s legal team helped shape legislation that would cap rate hikes and protect “mom and pop” community owners without using taxpayer funds. Gov. Shapiro spoke on the need during his budget address. Besecker said he spoke to the governor shortly after.
“The one question I had for him over and above everything else is, when this legislation hits your desk, will you sign it? And his response was absolutely he would sign it,” he said.
Sen. Judy Schwank, a Democrat who sponsored the Senate bills, told us that with the governor’s support, there is an opportunity to get something in the codes bill without a vote on her standalone Senate bills. Without action, Hockenberry says home values will continue to decrease, trapping those who can no longer afford the land beneath them.
“Potential buyers are put off by the idea of these significantly high lot rents. There’s no end in sight,” he stressed.
If there’s no legislative action, Besecker has this warning:
“It’s the type of thing that has turned many a majority party into a minority party,” he said.
