LOWER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. — The doubling of lot rental prices for area manufactured housing in recent years brought dozens to a meeting Wednesday to get guidance from a state agency.
The Coalition of Manufactured Home Communities of Pennsylvania's get-together in St. Paul's Lutheran Church came because many of those tenants are people on limited or fixed incomes, including retirees and families.
“Every time this lot rent goes up, it takes away from my ability to be able to care for the one person that God has left me in this world, that grandchild of mine."Peggy Hoffman
Coalition members Robert Besecker and Reggie Hockenberry addressed those dire worries and offered advice on how to effectively push legislation that could help prevent rental increases high enough for some homeowners to call them a scam.
“I want to give anybody in this room an opportunity to talk about the negative effect that these high lot rent increases have had upon you,” Besecker told the crowd.
“That is the only thing we're here to talk about tonight: high lot rent increases. That's what we're trying to fight legislatively.”
Most manufactured home communities are largely unregulated, which can permit community owners to raise lot rentals as much as they choose.
But House Bill 1250 has passed the House — tying rent increases to inflation with certain caveats. And Senate Bills 745 and 746, which cover rent justification and a right for first refusal respectively, aim to help curtail those price jumps.
'How am I going to eat?'
Carlene Moyer, who lives at Mayo Homes in Trexlertown, said she moved in 4 1/2 years ago with a lot rental of $395. Since the sale of the park just a couple years ago, her rent has more than doubled to $819, Moyer said.
“Well, I cannot afford it going up to $800 now,” she said.
“How am I going to pay my lot rent? How am I going to eat? Pay for food? How am I going to take my pills? Or am I going to be one of these old people that don't take their medicine because I can't afford it?
"I am diabetic, I am asthmatic, [and] I have high blood pressure, which this is not helping. But I just don't understand why it has to go up that much.”
Her plight and reaction were common sentiments among the crowd: Several others said they had exact same rate increase — with some saying they've heard about potential increases coming in January.
Others said they had to take on several part-time jobs, sometimes in addition to full time work, to keep up on the price jumps, and often must to pay the rent in lieu of other vital needs.
Peggy Hoffman, who cares for her granddaughter after her own daughter died, said she has had to forgo food and medication because of her lot rent.
“Every time this lot rent goes up, it takes away from my ability to be able to care for the one person that God has left me in this world, that grandchild of mine,” Hoffman said.
“And it's sad what we're all living under just because they're coming in and they want to pay their investors a gigantic profit, and that's what this is about.
"This isn't about helping us. They're saying it's affordable. It has become completely unaffordable for all of us.”
Stories of skyrocketing rents
Charles Bennicoff, who has lived in Mayo Park for 33 years, said his lot rent also was bumped to $819, and he soon may struggle to afford that in light of the $4,000 he spends every three months for a single prescription medication.
“And I’m only on Social Security, and a really small pension,” Bennicoff said.
“But now they turn around less than a year later, now they turn around and they're going to jump up to $819. So in 16 months’ time, it went from 300 some dollars to $819… like I don't understand how they can justify that.”Richard Jurgelewicz
Richard Jurgelewicz, who lives in Red Maple Acres Mobile Home Park, said he witnessed sharp price increases in real time as he was in the process of buying his home.
Originally, lot rentals were set at around $300, he said, and just as he was closing on the deal, something happened.
“Then all of a sudden, we found out at that point in time that the lot rent was going to be $695, not $300 and something,” he said.
“But now they turn around less than a year later, now they turn around and they're going to jump up to $819. So in 16 months time, it went from 300-some dollars to $819.
"Like, I don't understand how they can justify that.”
The bills
Besecker later encouraged attendees to familiar themselves with Act 261, which sets the responsibilities for manufactured park owners and residents.
They include whether there are any real restrictions on lot rental increases.
"It’s basically, I'm paraphrasing, but it says the operator can raise your lot rent only once within a 12-month period, and it stops," Besecker said.
"It doesn't put any restriction whatsoever on how much that increase can be."
As far as the legislative bills up for consideration, Hockenberry said he and the coalition spent several months working with consumer protection groups Regional Housing Legal Services and the Community Justice Project on the matter.
Hockenberry also briefly spoke on State Bill 746.
“SB 746 is the right of first refusal," he said. "Now why is that important? If an owner wants to sell a property, if that bill passes, they have to offer it to the residents.
"First, you have the ability to either make the decision to do that or not."
Besecker added there are organizations that can help residents in such matters, and even assist in buying the property.
The way forward
Besecker said Senate Bill 746 was referred to committee on June 3 — one of the earliest steps in the life cycle of a bill — following its introduction.
“We’re in a crisis now — right now," he said. "So it may not be practical to wait for 746. We need to pass each or either House Bill 1250, or Senate Bill 724, now.”
When it came to how to support the bills and push local politicians to vote in favor, the coalition wants to be strategic.
Besecker said that while telling a senator residents will not vote for them if they do not support the bills, they can become a “lost cause.”
The better method, he said, is to engage with them, ask them to re-read the bill, and keep in contact.
“Objection is not rejection, it’s a failure to communicate," Besecker said. "So that person, we need to communication with them."
He said the coalition has presented plenty of information on the bills to state Sen. Jarrett Coleman, who sits on the Urban Affairs & Housing Committee.
And it's explained to him that the residents in the 41 parks across his district “will follow [him] through hell” if he supported the bills.
Patience and persistence
For now, though, the coalition advised members not to harass Coleman, but rather contact their own local politicians and convey their concerns on a routine basis, maybe once a week.
If the Senate bill passes committee, it could return to the floor for a vote.
“The one thing I would say to you is patience. You know, it's okay to be ticked off. It's understandable to be ticked off, but don't give up.”Reggie Hockenberry
But for the time being, as that process plays out, some worry about how they could possibly keep their heads above water while waiting.
“I really have no idea, and that’s going to vary," Besecker said.
He and Hockenberry said another meeting could be lined up in about two months, but for the time being, it’s a matter of patiently and persistently working away at the issue.
“This isn't going to happen in a day, but it doesn't say it's not going to happen," Hockenberry said.
"And we're not going to give up, because although we don't know you very well, we probably will in the short term, but we're out there trying to push and create strategies that will bring this to a resolution.
“The one thing I would say to you is patience. You know, it's OK to be ticked off. It's understandable to be ticked off. But don't give up.”
