Sen. Nangle introduces bill to protect mobile home park residents

Posted: April 01, 2025 | Housing and Economic Development, Senator Nangle

AUGUSTA – On Tuesday, April 1, Sen. Tim Nangle, D-Windham, introduced legislation to protect residents of mobile home parks from predatory practices by out-of-state corporate investors and ensure fair treatment during park sales or land-use changes. LD 1145, “An Act to Protect Residents Living in Mobile Home Parks,” received a public hearing before the Legislature’s Housing and Economic Development Committee.

“For many Mainers, mobile home parks are critical sources of affordable, stable housing,” said Sen. Nangle. “Too often, private equity firms swoop in solely for profit, drastically raising rents and destabilizing communities. This bill ensures residents are treated fairly and have a meaningful opportunity to preserve their homes and communities — it’s a step toward a Maine where stability, dignity and community well-being are valued over corporate profit.”

LD 1145 addresses key issues faced by residents of mobile home parks by:

  • Requiring park owners to provide written notice to residents when they intend to sell.
  • Extending the waiting period from 60 to 90 days, giving residents more time to respond.
  • Establishing a clear “right of first refusal,” enabling residents to match and purchase their park if they choose.
  • Clarifying that park owners are not required to complete a sale if residents cannot secure financing within 90 days.
  • Introducing protections when park owners intend to discontinue park use entirely, including mandatory relocation assistance funded by the owner and restrictions preventing eviction until residents are safely relocated.

During the public hearing, Sen. Nangle shared his family’s personal experience managing a mobile home park in Massachusetts for over seventy years, emphasizing the value of community-focused ownership versus the detrimental impacts of profit-driven corporate acquisitions. He highlighted that Massachusetts law allowed residents of his family’s park to successfully purchase the community themselves, preserving affordability and stability.

Speaking in support of LD 1145, Nora Gosselin, Director of Resident Acquisitions at the Cooperative Development Institute, shared similar insights drawn from her extensive experience assisting resident communities:

“The Opportunity to Purchase statute has been an essential stepping stone, a proof of concept. Under this statute, two cooperatives successfully purchased their properties within the last year for $26.3M and $8M respectively, showing that residents can indeed pull off these transactions on competitive timelines and at competitive price tags. […] The law needs to be strengthened into a Right of First Refusal to build upon an effective model, in an environment with so many aggressive, deep-pocketed, out-of-state corporations, amid an affordable housing crisis.”

LD 1145 will now undergo further review and discussion in the committee.

Sen. Nangle represents Senate District 26, which includes Windham, Raymond, Casco, Frye Island, and part of Westbrook.

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