S-1867.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5991

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By Senators Fraser and Rasmussen

Read first time 02/21/95.  Referred to Committee on Government Operations.

Requiring cities and counties establish land use regulations that protect mobile home and manufactured home parks.

    AN ACT Relating to mobile home and manufactured home parks; adding a new section to chapter 35.63 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 35A.63 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 36.70 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that mobile home and manufactured home parks provide a valuable affordable housing resource throughout the state.

    The legislature further finds that many mobile home and manufactured home parks are vulnerable to the pressures of redevelopment and conversions of the land to other uses, and that the most vulnerable parks are those containing older mobile homes that are incapable of being moved.

    The legislature further finds that these conversions and park closures often cause residents to lose the equity in their home, and that other severe hardships, including homelessness often result.

    It is therefore the intent of this act to require local government to consider these impacts in their planning process and to devise positive steps to enhance the stability of mobile home and manufactured home parks in their jurisdiction.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 35.63 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) Every city shall establish land use regulations that recognize that existing mobile home and manufactured home parks offer a unique and important form of housing and that facilitate the preservation, continued viability, maintenance, and upgrading of these parks.

    (2) Every city shall examine the need for the establishment of specific land use zones for mobile home and manufactured home parks.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 35A.63 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) Every code city shall establish land use regulations that recognize that existing mobile home and manufactured home parks offer a unique and important form of housing, and that facilitate the preservation, continued viability, maintenance, and upgrading of these parks.

    (2) Every code city shall examine the need for the establishment of specific land use zones for mobile home and manufactured home parks.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 36.70 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) Every county shall establish land use regulations that recognize that existing mobile home and manufactured home parks offer a unique and important form of housing, and that facilitate the preservation, continued viability, maintenance, and upgrading of these parks.

    (2) Every county shall examine the need for the establishment of specific land use zones for mobile home and manufactured home parks.

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