NPHS Co-Sponsors SB 996 and SB 1092

We believe stable housing is the foundation for economic mobility and thriving communities. As California faces an ongoing affordability crisis, protecting and strengthening pathways to lasting affordability and homeownership is critical.

That’s why NPHS is proud to co-sponsor two key bills this year: SB 996 and SB 1092—both designed to strengthen housing stability for Californians, including manufactured-home and mobile home residents.

SB 996: Expanding Real-Property Titling Pathways for Manufactured Homes

SB 996 (Padilla) is a manufactured housing bill that tackles a major barrier to affordability and wealth-building: how manufactured homes are legally classified for titling, taxation, and financing.

The bill recognizes that current law often ties “real property” classification to permanent foundation requirements and specific land-tenure arrangements—creating hurdles for homeowners who live in mobile home parks, manufactured housing communities, community land trusts, and cooperative ownership models. SB 996 creates an additional pathway for a manufactured home or mobile home to be classified as real property even without a permanent foundation system, as long as specific conditions are met.

This approach closely aligns with national research from The Pew Charitable Trusts. In “States Hold the Keys to Greater Mortgage Access for Manufactured Home Buyers,” Pew explains that state titling laws determine whether a manufactured home can be financed with a mortgage—and that homes titled as personal property are typically locked out of mortgages and pushed into more expensive “home-only” loans with fewer protections.

Pew’s analysis finds that a $100,000 mortgage can save a typical borrower roughly $49,000 compared to home-only financing, and that mortgage borrowers pay about 10% less per month than borrowers using home-only loans. Pew also highlights that states can expand mortgage access by updating titling rules—specifically by extending real-property titling beyond only traditional land-ownership situations, including for people in resident-owned communities and community land trust-style arrangements.

At its core, SB 996 ensures that manufactured homeowners are not locked out of fair, affordable financing because of outdated classification rules. By modernizing pathways to real-property titling in long-term, stable land-tenure settings, the bill helps unlock safer, more affordable mortgage options for homeowners who might otherwise face higher costs and fewer protections. For NPHS, this directly advances our mission to expand access to affordable housing and create sustainable pathways to homeownership, particularly for households who face systemic barriers to building wealth. Manufactured housing remains one of the most attainable forms of homeownership in California, and when state policy supports equitable financing structures, families gain greater stability, stronger consumer protections, and meaningful opportunities to build equity over time. SB 996 reflects our commitment to strengthening housing stability, preserving affordability, and ensuring that working families have a fair opportunity to thrive in the communities they call home.

SB 1092: Protecting Mobile Home Communities and Expanding Homeownership

NPHS is also proud to co-sponsor SB 1092 – Opportunity to Compete for Mobile Home Residents, authored by Senator Ben Allen.

Mobile homes are the largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing in the country and provide critical homeownership opportunities for approximately 1.6 million Californians. Yet mobile home park residents — many of whom are older adults and lower-income households — are uniquely vulnerable when their park is sold.

SB 1092 creates a clear and reasonable pathway for residents to submit a competitive offer if a mobile home park owner intends to sell. If the owner receives an offer they plan to accept, residents or their designated representative must be given the opportunity to compete within defined timelines.

This policy is especially urgent as climate disasters and speculative acquisitions threaten existing affordable housing across the state. Preserving mobile home parks protects one of California’s most important pathways to attainable homeownership and prevents displacement in communities that often have limited alternatives.

SB 1092 strengthens housing stability by giving mobilehome residents a fair opportunity to purchase their community when it goes up for sale. Because many residents own their homes but rent the land beneath them, they are uniquely vulnerable to displacement when ownership changes. This bill helps preserve affordability by creating a clear process for residents to compete and pursue collective ownership. For NPHS, SB 1092 reflects our commitment to preventing displacement, protecting naturally occurring affordable housing, and supporting long-term community stability so families can remain rooted and build toward a more secure future.

Centering Stability, Preserving Opportunity

SB 996 and SB 1092 reflect NPHS’s commitment to advancing practical, research-informed policies that protect affordable housing, prevent displacement, and expand sustainable pathways to homeownership. As highlighted throughout this article, both bills address structural barriers that limit stability for manufactured and mobilehome residents and offer clear, proactive solutions that strengthen long-term community resilience:

• SB 996 modernizes real-property titling pathways for manufactured homes, expanding access to safer, more affordable mortgage financing and reducing long-term borrowing costs for homeowners.
• SB 1092 establishes a fair opportunity for mobile home residents to compete to purchase their communities when they are put up for sale, helping preserve naturally occurring affordable housing and protect residents from displacement.

Together, these measures recognize that solving California’s housing crisis requires not only building new homes, but safeguarding the affordability and ownership opportunities that already exist. By supporting policies that improve financing access and empower residents to preserve their communities, NPHS continues to advance its mission of strengthening housing stability, promoting economic mobility, and ensuring families can remain rooted and thrive.