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From Our Parks to Salem: Homeowners Are Making Their Voices Heard
Something important is happening in Oregon. Manufactured and floating homeowners are showing up in Salem, sitting down with legislators and their staff, telling our stories, and asking for something that should not be too much to ask:
If it’s a law, enforce it.
For years, homeowners have been told about the laws that protect us. But what happens when those laws are violated and there is no meaningful way to investigate the violation or require compliance?
That is the conversation we are bringing to Salem.
It started with homeowners willing to show up. Over the past several months, a small group of homeowners has been working together to bring the need for a real enforcement system to the attention of Oregon legislators.
Homeowners from Twin Cedars in Lebanon, Lakeridge in Eugene, Salem Greene in Salem, Carver Mobile Home Ranch, and Southbrook Mobile Home Park in Salem have taken the time to come together, make calls, send emails, schedule meetings and, most importantly, walk into legislative offices and tell their own stories.
That is what makes this effort different
We aren’t lobbyists. We aren’t professional advocates. We are homeowners who live in manufactured home communities and understand what it means when a law that is supposed to protect us is not enforced.
Many of us are seniors. Our homes are our biggest assets and our communities are our homes. We cannot simply pack up and move when something goes wrong.
So we decided to take our concerns where decisions are made.
What is it like to meet with legislators?
If you have never done it before, walking into the Capitol to meet with a legislator can feel intimidating.
I know it did for many of us.
But we learned something important: legislators and their staff need to hear directly from the people affected by the laws they are considering.
We don’t have to know everything. We don’t have to be experts in the legislative process. We just need to be prepared, respectful and willing to tell the truth about what we are experiencing.
One of the most valuable parts of this experience was having John VanLandingham generously share his time and knowledge with our group.
John helped us understand how to communicate effectively with legislators and their staff, how the legislative process works, and some of the history behind the development of Oregon’s manufactured housing laws, including ORS Chapter 90 and the Oregon State Tenants Association.
John has spent decades working on tenant rights and manufactured housing issues in Oregon. His knowledge helped us understand not only where we have been, but also how we can move forward.
We are extremely grateful for his generosity and willingness to help homeowners understand how to make our voices more effective.
We Are Being Heard
Our meetings in Salem have given us the opportunity to explain why mediation alone is not enough when a law is repeatedly violated.
Oregon currently provides mediation and dispute-resolution services for manufactured home park and marina disputes. These services can be valuable, but mediation is designed to help the parties resolve a dispute; it does not create a statewide system for investigating violations and enforcing the law. That is the gap we are asking legislators to look at.
We believe Oregon needs a Manufactured and Floating Home Dispute Resolution and Enforcement Program that gives homeowners somewhere to turn when the law is violated, a system with the ability to investigate complaints, determine whether a violation occurred, and require compliance.
We are not asking legislators to take sides between landlords and tenants.
We are asking for a system where the law means something for everyone.
There is power in showing up
One of the biggest lessons I have learned through this experience is that you don’t have to be an expert to make a difference.
- You don’t have to give a speech.
- You don’t have to know every section of ORS Chapter 90.
- You don’t have to be comfortable speaking in front of a room full of people.
- You just have to be willing to show up.
Bring another homeowner with you. Share what is happening in your community. Tell a legislator what it is like to live under laws that you believe are not being enforced. Ask questions. Listen. Follow up.
And if you don’t feel comfortable doing it alone, don’t go alone.
This effort has grown because homeowners from different communities decided to work together.
A special thank you
I want to recognize the homeowners from Twin Cedars in Lebanon, Lakeridge in Eugene, Salem Greene, Carver Mobile Home Ranch, and Southbrook Mobile Home Park in Salem.
Thank you for giving your time, traveling to Salem, sitting in legislative offices, sharing your experiences and standing beside other homeowners. Every person who showed up helped move this conversation forward. Your presence in the legislative committee meetings was so valuable. The legislature gets to know our faces. They recognize us when we attend time after time.
And a very special thank you to John VanLandingham for sharing his time, experience and knowledge with us. Understanding how to communicate with legislators, how the process works, and the history behind the laws we are working to strengthen has made us better advocates for ourselves and our communities.
This is just the beginning
We have more work to do.
But something has changed.
Homeowners are no longer simply talking among ourselves about the problems we face. We are taking those concerns to the people who have the ability to change the system.
We are building relationships with legislators. We are learning how the process works. We are gathering information. And we are asking lawmakers to look at what happens when Oregon has laws on the books but homeowners have no meaningful enforcement mechanism behind them.
We need more homeowners to join us
If you have ever thought, “Someone needs to do something about this,” maybe that someone is you.
You don’t have to do it alone. You don’t have to know everything. And you don’t have to be fearless.
Sometimes you just have to take the first step.
Come with us. Bring your voice. Tell your story.
Because when homeowners from communities across Oregon stand together, we are much harder to ignore.
Your voice matters. Your story matters. And together, our voices can make a difference.
If you need help, have a concern, or simply don’t know where to start, we’re here to help you be heard. Call 541-508-0404, and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.