H-2299              _______________________________________________

                                           SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 994

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By House Committee on Housing (originally sponsored by Representatives Todd, Cantwell, Crane, J. Williams, Leonard, Nutley, Sanders, Moyer, Dellwo and Schoon)

Read first time 3/6/87 and passed to Committee on Rules.

AN ACT Relating to the office of mobile home affairs; adding new sections to chapter 43.63A RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The intent of this act is to:  Provide an effective and coordinated approach by state government in the regulating of mobile homes; develop comprehensive strategies that will promote the effective utilization of mobile homes and manufactured housing within the state; and assist in resolving disputes that are subject to the landlord-tenant act, taking into consideration and giving equal emphasis to the positions and concerns of both tenants and landlords.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.63A RCW to read as follows:

          The department shall establish an office of mobile home affairs which will serve as the coordinating office within state government for matters relating to mobile homes or manufactured housing.

          This office will provide an ombudsman service to mobile home park owners and mobile home tenants with respect to problems and disputes within the scope of the mobile home landlord-tenant act, chapter 59.20 RCW.  The office will keep records of its activities in this area.

          This office will also provide an ombudsman service to mobile home park owners and mobile home tenants with respect to accessing governmental services related to health and safety within mobile home parks.

          This office will further develop policies and strategies that will promote the development and utilization of mobile homes or manufactured housing as a means of enhancing the supply of safe, sanitary, low and moderate income housing within the state, and advise the legislature, executive agencies of state government, and local government entities accordingly.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 43.63A RCW to read as follows:

          There is established the office of mobile home and manufactured housing affairs advisory committee.  The committee shall consist of five members appointed by the director of the department of community development.  The committee shall be comprised of one representative of mobile home park tenants, one representative of mobile home park owners, one representative of mobile home manufacturers, one representative of local governments, and one representative of the public at large with comprehensive knowledge of the mobile home landlord-tenant act.  The director of the department of community development shall appoint the committee chairperson.  The committee shall advise the office in implementing the provisions of section 2 of this act provided that only the representatives of the mobile home park tenants, mobile home park owners, and the public at large shall review and advise the office on issues relating to the mobile home landlord-tenant act.  The members of the committee shall not receive compensation or reimbursement for travel expenses.