Manufactured/Mobile Home Relocation Assistance Program – Washington State Department of Commerce
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    • If you own your manufactured or mobile home and live in a community closing in Washington, you may be eligible for relocation assistance and coordination services. Manufactured and mobile home relocation assistance is provided to eligible, income qualifying households on a first-come, first-served basis, prioritizing tenants in communities closed due to health and safety concerns or community-owner fraud.

    Community Owner Resources

    How do I submit a notice of opportunity to compete to purchase or a notice of closure? Effective July 23, 2023, manufactured/mobile home community owners […]

    Homeowner Resources

    What resources are available to homeowners?

    Stakeholders and Community Partners

    What are eligible organizations and the registration steps? Manufactured/mobile home communities provide affordable home ownership for households with middle to low incomes and create housing […]

    What assistance does the manufactured/mobile home relocation program offer?

    The Manufactured/Mobile Home Relocation Assistance Program (Relocation Assistance Program) provides cash assistance up to $11,000 for a single-section home or up to $17,000 for a multi-section home (including single-sections with additional, built living space). Cash assistance is provided in two payments:

    1. when a household is determined eligible; and
    2. when a household either signs over the home’s title to the community owner, upon removal of their home from the community, or the household sells or gifts their home to a third party.

    Both options must happen by the community closure date. Community owners may seek reimbursement from the Relocation Assitance Program for allowable demolition and disposal costs associated with eligible households. Community owners may request up to $5,500 for a single-section home and up to $8,500 for a multi-section home (inclusing single-sections with additional, build living space).

    Households in closing communities may work with the Relocation Assistance Program Coordinator to ask questions about program eligibility, the application process, relocating from their community, or other resources. Please call 800-964-0852 or email omh@commerce.wa.gov.

    Where does relocation assistance money come from?

    Relocation assistance is a combination of fees collected when a home is purchased in a manufactured/mobile home community (RCW 59.21.050) and a portion of a community owner’s annual registration with the Washington State Department of Revenue (RCW 59.30.050 (3) (b)).

    To be eligible for relocation assistance, you must:

    • Have received a notice of closure
    • Lived in your home at the time the notice of closure was received
    • Have a household income that is less than 80% of HUD’s AMI (area median income)
    • Own your manufactured/mobile home when the closure notice is received.

    Owners of recreational vehicles (RVs), travel trailers, and park models (as defined in RCW 59.20.030) are not eligible for relocation assistance.

    Households in closing communities may work with the Department of Commerce Relocation Coordinator to ask questions about program eligibility, the application and financial assistance process, relocating from their community, and other resources. Call 800-964-0852 or email omh@commerce.wa.gov.

    If you have questions or need application materials in a language other than English or Spanish, don’t hesitate to contact us at omh@commerce.wa.gov, toll-free at 800-964-0852 or 360-725-2971.

    If English is not your primary language, we will call you back with the help of a telephone interpreter in the language you are most comfortable with.

    Opportunity to purchase your community

    Opportunity to compete to purchase

    Manufactured/mobile home communities provide affordable home ownership for households with middle to low incomes and create housing stability and long-term wealth building opportunity. In an effort to encourage and assist the preservation of existing communities, the Washington State Legislature passed SB 5198 during the 2023 session.

    Among many important changes effective July 23, 2023, the bill gives residents (tenants) in manufactured/mobile home communities (MHCs) the opportunity to purchase their community or the property on which the community sits. The bill also provides the same opportunity for eligible organizations to receive Notices of Opportunity to Compete to Purchase these communities and the properties on which they sit. An “eligible organization” is defined as:

    • Community land trust
    • Resident nonprofit cooperative
    • Local government
    • Local housing authority
    • Nonprofit community or neighborhood-based organization
    • Federally recognized Indian tribe in the State of Washington
    • Regional or statewide nonprofit housing assistance organization

    Any eligible organization interested in receiving Notices of Opportunity to Compete to Purchase may submit an application to join the Eligible Organization Registry.

    All Registry submissions are subject to public disclosure pursuant to RCW 42.56. To request a copy of the Registry, please contact the program at 800-964-0852 or OMH@Commerce.wa.gov.

    Effective July 23, 2023, manufactured/mobile home community owners are required to give written Notice of Opportunity to Compete to Purchase their manufactured/mobile home communities or the properties on which they sit. Community owners must provide these notices to community tenants, qualified tenant organizations, the Department of Commerce (Commerce), and the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. Commerce is required to provide these notices to eligible organizations.

    All Notice submissions are subject to public disclosure pursuant to RCW 42.56.

    Commerce will not post community owners or representatives’ addresses on its webpage or attached documents; however, we will post names and email addresses associated with each community.

    2023 Session Legislation

    Manufactured Housing Communities Workgroup Report

    The Washington State Legislature tasked the Department of Commerce to make recommendations, assess perspectives, and facilitate discussions about aspects of the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act (RCW 59.20). This work began in August 2019, with a final report submitted to the Legislature in December 2020.

    Department of Commerce (Commerce) Homeownership Unit staff held stakeholder conversations in July and August 2025 with eight manufactured housing community (MHC) stakeholder groups. A conversation with a ninth group, Attorney General/Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program (MHDRP), will be scheduled during the fall. These conversations will set the stage for intentional networking and collaboration about issues that directly impact those who live in and own MHCs, as well as those whose work directly involve MHCs.

    • Conversation materials are organized by stakeholder type below. Each link takes you to a Box folder with a copy of the presentation with notes and a copy of the conversation notes. Additional materials will be added as completed.
    • Homeownership unit staff prepared a combined stakeholder conversation themes, action items, and solutions document. The document pulls main themes and related action items/solutions from each stakeholder conversation into one document. Document contents will help inform our future networking and collaboration efforts.
    • Community Owners and Advocates
    • Community owners (“landlords”) own manufactured housing communities. Advocates are individuals and entities that support and work on behalf of community owners. Manufactured Housing Communities of Washington (MHCW) is a nonprofit, statewide association representing community owners and managers in Washington state.
    • Department of Commerce staff
    • The Department of Commerce (Commerce) administers multiple programs and funding that impact manufactured housing communities, residents, and owners either directly or indirectly. Some of these programs and funding include the Manufactured/Mobile Home Relocation Assistance Program, Community Engagement, Housing Trust Fund Homeownership Capital Programs, Office of Tribal Relations, and Growth Management Services. Commerce staff are committed to growing internal networking and collaboration opportunities that benefit manufactured housing communities.
    • Eligible Organization Registry
    • The Department of Commerce maintains the Eligible Organization Registry (RCW 59.20.350) for eligible organizations who want to receive a Notice of Opportunity to Compete to Purchase (RCW 59.20.325) when community owners are interested in selling their communities. Eligible organizations include community land trusts, resident nonprofit cooperatives, local governments, local housing authorities, nonprofit community or neighborhood-based organizations, federally recognized Indian tribes in the state of Washington, and regional or statewide nonprofit housing assistance organizations, whose mission aligns with the long-term preservation of the manufactured/mobile home community (RCW 59.20.030(4)). Eligible organizations can apply to join the Registry.
    • Eligible Organizations and Interested Parties
    • Eligible organizations are entities interested in long-term preservation of manufactured/mobile home communities. Eligible organizations include community land trusts, resident nonprofit cooperatives, local governments, local housing authorities, nonprofit community or neighborhood-based organizations, federally recognized Indian tribes in the state of Washington, and regional or statewide nonprofit housing assistance organizations (RCW 59.20.030(4)). Interested parties are individuals who are concerned about the rights and housing security of homeowners living in manufactured housing communities.
    • Homeowner Advocates
    • Homeowner Advocates are individuals and entities that support and work on behalf of homeowners in manufactured housing communities. Homeowner advocates include local governments, civil legal aid, and affordable housing organizations.
    • Homeowners
    • Homeowners are tenants in manufactured housing communities who own their homes and rent their lots. The Association of Manufactured Homeowners (AMHO) is nonprofit, member organization that addresses the needs of manufactured homeowners in Washington state.
    • Manufactured Housing Industry
    • The manufactured housing industry includes manufacturers, dealers, certified installers, transporters, etc. The Washington Manufactured Housing Association (WMHA) is a nonprofit trade organization that promotes manufactured homes in Washington state.
    • State Agencies and Commissions
    • Many state agencies and commissions play a role in the functioning of manufactured housing communities as well as tenants and community owners, including the Departments of Revenue, Licensing, and Labor and Industries. Other entities play a role in funding the purchase and preservation of communities (Washington State Housing Finance Commission) and in reporting census data (Office of Financial Management). Commerce is committed to growing networking and collaboration opportunities at the state level that benefit manufactured housing communities.
    • Please contact Brigid Henderson, Manufactured Housing Community Strategies Specialist, at brigid.henderson@commerce.wa.gov or 360-485-8923 if you have questions about Commerce manufactured housing community stakeholder activities.
    Page last updated:

    Homeownership

    Contact

    Automated Service Line

    Phone: 360-725-2971 or 800-964-0852
    Email: OMH@Commerce.wa.gov

    Mailing Address

    Commerce/Manufactured and Mobile Home Relocation Assistance
    P.O. 42525
    Olympia, WA 98504

    If English is not your primary language, we will call you back with the help of a telephone interpreter in the language you are most comfortable with.