Contact the Governor and Your Legislators today
to protect Manufactured Home Owners!

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S economy has suffered major disruptions. Federal, state and local governments have responded in a variety of ways. Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Governor Tim Walz declared a Peacetime Emergency and issued an executive order suspending evictions. And the Minnesota Legislature approved $330 million to address the impacts.

However, Minnesotans especially manufactured home park residents are still at risk of losing coronavirus relief benefits, not being able to pay their rent, and even losing their homes. We need you to act today and contact Governor Walz and your state legislators about these important issues:

• Stop Debt Collectors from Seizing Stimulus Checks

Millions of Americans are expecting stimulus checks from the federal government to help cover basic necessities, at a time when many have lost income and been denied the opportunity to earn a living. These payments should start arriving in people’s bank accounts next week.

However, debt collectors are eager to garnish these payments. States and local governments can protect these payments through executive orders, court orders, or legislation to stop new garnishment orders, halt enforcement of existing garnishment orders, and clarify that stimulus payments are exempt under existing state law.

The best model order to date was issued by the Las Vegas Courts. States as different as Massachusetts and Texas have also halted garnishments.

Contact Governor Walz and your legislators today!

• Suspend Manufactured Home Foreclosures (i.e. Repossessions)

Governor Walz’s executive order suspended home loan foreclosures, but not for all homes. If you are buying a manufactured home, the seller can still start a repossession action to take it back and force you out. Manufactured home owners should be protected from foreclosure, too!

Contact Governor Walz and your legislators today!

• Extend Rental Assistance to Residents of Manufactured Home Park

The federal CARES Act provided the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with an additional $17.4 billion for rent assistance, housing vouchers, public housing, and housing for the elderly. Rental assistance for park residents is considered an appropriate use of these funds but the state government has to approve it.

Contact Governor Walz and your legislators today!

• Provide 60-day Grace Period after Eviction Moratorium

Once the Peacetime Emergency and the stay at home order ends, lives will begin to return to normal and people will begin returning to work. However, people will not automatically regain lost income and will not immediately catch up on past due rent. If no additional action is taken, we are facing a tsunami of evictions and displacements after the current eviction moratorium is lifted.

There should be a 60-day grace period after the peacetime emergency is lifted to pay overdue amounts, apply for Emergency Assistance, and/or vacate without fear of an eviction action being placed on their record.

Contact Governor Walz and your legislators today!

Join APAC's Citizen Lobby

COVID-19 Update: Changes in APAC's Services and Activities

APAC's board and staff want to share with members and supporters steps the organization is taking as precautions against the further spread of COVID-19, specifically:

• Work Site: We will practice “social distancing” by having staff use telecommuting and work off-site, which is a practice allowed for in our Employee Handbook. We will limit meetings and events to those we can by voice or video conferencing.
• Time Frame: We are extending this plan through April 30. By May 1, we will re-evaluate whether to extend, modify, or discontinue this plan.
  

COVID-19 Update: Help for manufactured home park residents!

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S economy has suffered major disruptions. Businesses across the U.S. have faced closures, reduced operations, and increased demand for sick leave and the ability to work from home. People are subject to quarantines and shelter-in-place orders and are struggling with the supply for key consumer goods, which has led to panic buying sprees. Students have seen schools and campuses closed and their school years shortened or changed to at-home online instruction. Medical personnel and health care systems face critically low inventories of key protective equipment and medical devices as requests for health services rise.

MN Legislature passes APAC-backed changes
to the Right of First Refusal and
Relocation Trust Fund

Right of First Refusal

On May 24, 2019, the Minnesota Legislature passed proposals backed by All Parks Alliance for Change (APAC), and endorsed by the Homes for All MN coalition, to close loopholes in the state Right of First Refusal law. Flaws in the existing law doomed a 2017 attempt by residents of the Lowry Grove manufactured (mobile) home park to buy their community and prevent it from being closed by a developer. A newly strengthened and streamlined process passed today as part of the Omnibus Agriculture Department, Rural Development, and Housing Finance Bill.

Welcome to “Before You Sign: A Consumer’s Guide to

Mobile Home Parks in the Twin Cities”

Download a Copy (PART 1, CLICK HERE) (PART 2, CLICK HERE)