Residents of multiple mobile home parks in Arizona will now have financial assistance to move if they are told to vacate their current homes due to redevelopment efforts.
The Arizona Legislature passed and Governor Katie Hobbs signed a bill, HB 2381, that increases disbursements from the Mobile Home Relocation Fund to financially assist Arizonans who are forced to relocate their mobile home.
The bill, sponsored by Republican Representative Matt Gress, received wide bipartisan support from both legislative chambers, and because it included an emergency clause, the new law takes immediate effect.
“As someone who spent his childhood growing up in a single-wide mobile home, this bill was personal, as our family and many others living in mobile homes have few extra dollars to spare, especially in a life-altering event like these park closures,” said Gress, a freshman lawmaker, in a series of tweets.
As someone who spent his childhood growing up in a single-wide mobile home (see below), this bill is personal to me as our family and many others living in mobile homes have few extra dollars to spare, especially in a life-altering event like these park closures. 3/ pic.twitter.com/HLt5c6pQEe
— Matt Gress (@MatthewGress) March 30, 2023
“Numerous media reports have covered the recent situation in three West Valley mobile home parks, where residents are being forced to relocate in the coming days,” explained Gress (R-LD4). “HB 2381 significantly increases the amount of financial support the State of Arizona will provide to either move a mobile home or relocate if that is not possible.”
Gress thanked his colleagues “on both sides of the aisle for passing this commonsense measure with an emergency clause, and especially Representative Cesar Aguilar (D-LD26), Senator Anna Hernandez (D-LD24), and Senator Steve Kaiser (R-LD2) for their leadership and advocacy.”