Manufactured‑housing amendment would ease grant access for limited‑equity co‑ops and prompt DHCD report

Members turned to the manufactured‑housing bill (filed as 7‑57 in the session) and an amendment intended to address a recurring problem: limited‑equity mobile‑home cooperatives that serve low‑ and moderate‑income residents are organized under a cooperative corporate form and in some cases have been registered incorrectly as nonprofits, which can block access to certain state grants or programs.

Cameron Wood summarized the amendment: rather than changing corporate registration practice, the amendment would direct state funding and grants to treat a limited‑equity mobile‑home park "as if" it were incorporated as a state nonprofit when determining eligibility for particular state funding streams. That approach was offered as a stopgap while the committee commissions a broader report. Wood proposed a companion report requirement directing the Department of Housing and Community Development, in consultation with other agencies, to identify state funding, grants and loan programs available for mobile‑home park infrastructure and to analyze eligibility and regulatory barriers (report due 11/15/2026).

Committee members discussed sunset timing and the speed of fixes. One member urged removing the sunset if the report produced legislation quickly; others favored a two‑year sunset to force follow‑up. The chair asked for a motion to move the bill as amended; a motion "as described by the chair" was made, seconded and accepted for committee consideration. The committee requested that finance staff confirm fee‑and‑finance interactions and that DHCD and the secretary of state provide technical assistance on corporate registration barriers.

What happens next: The committee adopted (moved) H‑757 as amended for further consideration and asked staff to return with drafted amendment text incorporating a clearer sunset and the DHCD report timeline.