Office of Mobile and Manufactured Home Relocation Assistance.
The Office of Mobile and Manufactured Home Relocation Assistance (Office), in the Department of Commerce (Department), provides general assistance to mobile and manufactured home resident organizations, tenant organizations, and mobile and manufactured home community owners.  Among its duties, the Office provides technical assistance to tenants who are participating in the conversion of a mobile home park to resident ownership, and provides financial assistance to homeowners under the Mobile Home Relocation Assistance Program (Relocation Assistance Program) when mobile home parks close.

Mobile Home Relocation Assistance Program.
The Relocation Assistance Program, administered by the Office, provides monetary assistance on a first-come, first-served basis to low-income persons owning mobile homes located in mobile home parks that are scheduled for closure or conversion to another use.  Tenants residing in parks that are closed because of park-owner fraud or health and safety concerns are given priority to available funds.  Payments are made by the Office upon verification of eligibility and subject to the availability of funds.  To be eligible for relocation assistance:

• the tenant must reside in the mobile home park at the time a closure notice is issued; and
• the tenant's household income must be no greater than 80 percent of the median family income for the county where the mobile or manufactured home is located.

For relocation assistance, the tenant, or an organization acting on the tenant's account, must submit an application that includes:

• a copy of the notice from the park-owner, or other adequate proof, that the tenancy is terminated due to park closure or conversion to another use; 
• a copy of the rental agreement, or other proof that the applicant was a tenant at the time of the closure notice; 
• a statement of relocation expenses expected to be incurred; 
• proof of ownership of the home at the time of closure notice; and 
• a statement of any other available assistance received. 

Eligible tenants who relocate may receive reimbursement of relocation expenses up to $12,000 for a multisection home and $7,500 for a single-section home.  Relocation assistance may be a combination of cash assistance and reimbursement for relocation-related costs up to the relocation assistance limits.  An eligible tenant may receive up to 40 percent of their assistance limit in cash to find other housing, and may receive the remainder of assistance as reimbursement for costs associated with relocation. 

To receive the cash assistance, the tenant must demonstrate that the tenant has: 

1. relocated the home;
2. established a process to relocate the home by the assigning the removal or demolition and disposal to another entity; or
3. contracted to incur expenses associated with relocating the home. 

To receive assistance after demonstrating that there is an assignment or contract to remove or dispose of the home, the tenant must demonstrate proof of the assignment and evidence that the assignee is capable of removal or demolition and disposal, or a contract exists for relocation of the home. 

If a tenant receives assistance for relocation from a source other than the Relocation Assistance Program, the assistance provided under the Relocation Assistance Program must be reduced to ensure that no person receives from all sources combined more than the actual costs of relocation. 

Any cash assistance provided under the Relocation Assistance Program is considered a one-time direct grant payment and must be excluded from household income calculations to determine eligibility of the recipient to receive benefits from any other state-funded assistance programs.

When a manufactured/mobile home park is, or is schedule to be, closed or converted to another use, the maximum amount eligible tenants may receive in relocation assistance from the Relocation Assistance Program is increased from $12,000 to $17,000 for a multisection home and from $7,500 to $11,000 for a single-section home.

The 40-percent limit on cash assistance for securing alternative housing is removed.  Tenants who qualify for assistance will receive $12,000 for a multisection home and $8,000 for a single-section home as cash assistance to relocate the home or secure alternative housing.

To receive the remainder of eligible assistance, tenants are required, within 90 days of receiving the initial assistance, to:

• transfer title of the manufactured/mobile home to the park-owner;
• relocate the home; or
• demolish and dispose of the home.

If the tenant does not relocate or demolish and dispose of the home with 90 days of receiving assistance, the park-owner may seek reimbursement from the Relocation Assistance Fund (fund) for costs incurred for demolition and disposal of the home in the amount of:

• $4,000 for a multisection home; and
• $2,500 for a single-section home.

To receive the reimbursement, the park-owner must provide documentation to the Department demonstrating costs incurred.  If costs incurred for demolition and disposal exceed the amounts specified, the park-owner may seek reimbursement from the portion of the fund to which park-owners contribute under the registration process for additional costs incurred as follows:

• $4,500 for a multisection home; and
• $3,000 for a single-section home.

When applying for relocation assistance, tenants must provide a statement of whether they will transfer title of the home to the park-owner or relocate the home within 90 days of receiving relocation assistance, and other information required by the Department.  Tenants are no longer required to provide a statement of relocation expenses expected to be incurred. 
 
The section reducing assistance provided under the Relocation Assistance Program to a mobile home owner who receives assistance from another source is repealed.