Gallup residents urge state attention to rising mobile‑home rents and street homelessness

At the public‑comment portion of the committee, two Gallup speakers asked lawmakers to consider action on manufactured housing rent increases and the city’s visible unhoused population.

Lynn (identified in testimony as a resident and organizer) said renters at Red Hill Mobile Home Park formed the Red Hill Mobile Home Park Owners Association after consecutive double‑digit rent increases in recent years and asked legislators to support forthcoming statewide proposals to cap annual rent increases for manufactured‑home lot rents. Lynn said the group is aligning with the Land of Enchantment Manufactured Homeowners Alliance and urged the committee to support legislation that limits annual rent increases so that the state’s older and fixed‑income residents are not displaced.

Marilyn Beck, who identified herself as acting chair of a Gallup unhoused task force, also addressed the committee and tied affordable housing pressures to rising street homelessness in Gallup. Beck said local owners have increased lot rents “over 10% each time” and that long‑term residents with fixed incomes are being pushed toward housing insecurity; she urged coordinated legislative attention and said local task‑force work is underway.

Both speakers asked the committee to consider stronger state protections and resources for manufactured‑home residents and for measures to reduce and prevent homelessness in small communities. The presenters requested outreach, advocacy and legislative attention during the next session.

Ending: Committee members acknowledged receipt of the comments and senators present noted the testimony would be part of the record; no immediate agency action or vote was taken during the hearing.