READING, Pa. – During his budget speech Tuesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro highlighted what he says is a growing housing problem across Pennsylvania.
“Christine Ziemer, who lives in Berks County and joins us here today, knows this firsthand,” Shapiro said. “Christine and her husband, Joe, who passed away late last year, they downsized in 2019 to move closer to their grandkids.”
The governor explained that Ziemer and her husband bought into a manufactured home community — a type of housing where residents own their homes, but not the land. According to Shapiro, more than 56,000 households across Pennsylvania live in similar communities.
“That’s how the trouble started,” Shapiro said. “The fee Christine pays to that company has nearly doubled since she moved in six years ago, creating a huge financial burden.”
Using Ziemer’s story, the governor urged lawmakers to advance a package of bills aimed at limiting lot rent increases and strengthening protections for manufactured home residents. House Bill 1250 passed the Pennsylvania House last year with bipartisan support.
State Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11) says the issue affects some of the most vulnerable residents.
“These are people who perhaps have owned these homes for years, have made improvements to them,” Schwank said. “They can’t move them. They truly are not mobile. There’s no other place for them to go, and they could become homeless as a result.”
Some lawmakers are now pushing to move the legislation forward, either as a standalone measure or as part of the state budget negotiations. However, the proposal has faced opposition, with some local representatives voting against it.