SALEM, Ore. (KATU) — House Bill 3054 would reduce maximum rent increases for renters in manufactured living communities. The bill would require the rent increases to align with the Consumer Price Index.

Manufactured homes are individually owned homes that sit in rented living spaces. Those who live in these spaces are often seniors living on a fixed income. Many tenants are growing frustrated with year-over-year hikes, with some facing eviction.

“What is truly not workable is seniors on a fixed income getting slammed with rent increases that are sometimes triple the amount of their cost of living adjustment from Social Security,” said Sen. Ben Bowman.

The bill includes protections for tenants and buyers. Landlords would be required to accept or reject tenant applications from buyers within seven days. Landlords would not be able to reject buyers based on age, size, or other factors. House Bill 3054 would also prohibit landlords from requiring home improvements or internal inspections as a condition for selling a unit in a rental facility.

Those who support the bill claim that rent increases in spaces like RV parks are unethical and driving people into homelessness. Some believe HB 3054 would protect this type of housing from excessive rent increases and help preserve the supply of affordable housing options.

“A lot of them are feeling like cash cows. They’re trapped in their homes, and they’re not able to get out of them. They can’t sell them. They can’t leave their home. They’re having to pay more and more rent, and a lot of these people are on fixed incomes,” said Rochelle Love Elder from the Oregon State Tenants Association.

Those in opposition to the bill believe that HB 3054 would pose significant challenges to housing providers and threaten the sustainability of the rental housing market. Some believe the bill would increase financial pressures on home builders, which would hurt investment in the housing market.

“This bill unfairly penalizes family-owned parks with long-term tenants,” said mobile home park owner Jennifer Backshaw. “The likely buyers will be real estate investment trusts or REITs whose profit-driven practices are the ones causing this whole mess.”

Bill Miner, a lawyer with Manufactured Housing Communities of Oregon, said the bill would depress rents far below market rates, forcing owners into three options: either run their parks to the bare minimum, sell to much larger conglomerates, or close them altogether.

“The expenses that we see, but the expenses that we see that owners have, they’re not going to be able to operate for very long,” said Miner.

Lawmakers reserved their questions for a later meeting to allow the public to testify. Another hearing on the bill will be scheduled soon.