AN ACT Relating to providing rental assistance to mobile home park tenants; amending RCW 59.22.050; reenacting and amending RCW 59.21.010; adding new sections to chapter 59.21 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 59.21 RCW to read as follows:

(1) A mobile home/manufactured housing rental assistance program is created to assist low-income tenants of mobile homes or manufactured housing to maintain an affordable level of rental payments for a mobile home lot. The mobile home/manufactured housing rental assistance program is administered by the department under the authority of RCW 59.22.050. The department may adopt administrative rules to implement this program.

(2) Under no circumstances may the department use amounts from the fund established under RCW 59.21.050 to provide the monetary rental assistance authorized in section 2 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 59.21 RCW to read as follows:

(1) On a monthly basis, the department may give a tenant monetary rental assistance for the purpose of assisting the tenant in the payment of rent for a mobile home lot.

(2) Rental assistance may not exceed the lesser of two hundred dollars or fifty percent of the monthly rent for the mobile home lot.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 59.21 RCW to read as follows:

(1) A tenant may apply to the department to receive monetary rental assistance. The department shall consider the following factors in determining the eligibility of applicants to receive monetary rental assistance, and the amount of that assistance:

(a) The applicant is a low-income tenant, which has the same meaning as low-income household in RCW 59.21.021;

(b) The applicant is over the age of fifty-five; and

(c) The applicant is a tenant who has experienced a rent increase that outpaces inflation, as defined by the percentage change in the implicit price deflator published by the United States department of commerce.

(2) Once a tenant is approved for monetary rental assistance, the tenant is entitled to such assistance on a monthly basis for one year, unless a change in circumstance occurs earlier that requires an adjustment or termination of such assistance. The tenant is required to notify the department of any change in circumstance, including a change in household income that impacts the tenant's low-income status, or a change in monthly rent for the mobile home lot. In the case of change in circumstance, the department shall adjust or terminate the amount of the monthly monetary rental assistance as appropriate.

(3) A tenant must reapply annually to receive monetary assistance to continue to receive such assistance.

Sec. 4.  RCW 59.21.010 and 2009 c 565 s 47 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Department" means the department of commerce.

(2) "Director" means the director of the department of commerce.

(3) "Fund" means the mobile home park relocation fund established under RCW 59.21.050.

(4) "Landlord" or "park-owner" means the owner of the mobile home park that is being closed at the time relocation assistance is provided.

(5) "Manufactured housing" has the same meaning as in RCW 59.22.020.

(8) "Mobile home park" or "park" means real property that is rented or held out for rent to others for the placement of two or more mobile homes for the primary purpose of production of income, except where the real property is rented or held out for rent for seasonal recreational purpose only and is not intended for year-round occupancy.

(((6))) (9) "Relocate" means to remove the mobile home from the mobile home park being closed and to either reinstall it in another location or to demolish it and purchase another mobile/manufactured home constructed to the standards set by the department of housing and urban development.

(((7))) (10) "Relocation assistance" means the monetary assistance provided under this chapter.

Sec. 5.  RCW 59.22.050 and 2011 c 158 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

In order to provide general assistance to resident organizations, qualified tenant organizations, and tenants, the department shall establish an office of mobile/manufactured home relocation and rental assistance. This office shall:

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, provide, either directly or through contracted services, technical assistance to qualified tenant organizations as defined in RCW 59.20.030 and resident organizations or persons in the process of forming a resident organization pursuant to this chapter. The office will keep records of its activities in this area.

(2) Administer the mobile home relocation assistance program established in chapter 59.21 RCW, including verifying the eligibility of tenants for relocation assistance.

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