Mary K. Brady, representing the Land of Enchantment Manufactured Homeowners Alliance, told the Legislative Veterans and Military Affairs Committee that private‑equity purchases of manufactured‑home communities have led to steep rent increases and service problems that threaten affordability for residents, including military families who may choose manufactured housing near installations.
Brady described a recent Alamogordo situation in which residents of a manufactured‑home community had no natural gas for heating, cooking or showers for more than six months while the out‑of‑state owner did not address the problem. She said private‑equity purchases can raise lot rents dramatically — citing an instance of an 80% increase she described from another community — and that state enforcement and oversight have been limited.
Brady said alliance members offered three bills in the most recent legislative session — House Bill 418, House Bill 442 and House Bill 426 — but that those measures "did not gain traction". She urged lawmakers to examine the issue and help protect residents who live in manufactured‑home communities from sudden rent spikes or service failures.
"Affordable housing is in bridal," Brady said, adding that manufactured homes are an important source of lower‑cost housing near military installations and in rural New Mexico. Committee members who spoke later said they had been made aware of similar complaints and indicated an interest in further study.