New State Law Could Help Zephyrhills Mobile Home Residents Cover Rising Lot Rent

David and Kathy Weeden have watched their lot rent creep toward $1,000 a month in the Zephyrhills mobile home community they call home, and they are not alone. Lot rental costs in mobile home communities have climbed 45% over the past decade, squeezing residents who are largely retirees living on Social Security. A new Florida law taking aim at that pressure is now in effect, and Pasco County is working out how to use it.

Senate Bill 594 took effect July 1 and requires local housing assistance programs across the state to include mobile home owners for the first time. It allows counties to tap State Housing Initiatives Partnership, or SHIP, funds to help residents cover lot rent, up to the equivalent of six months' worth. The law also opens up SHIP money for emergency repairs and storm hardening of mobile homes, and it removes a previous cap that limited manufactured housing to just 20% of a county's SHIP funds.

"So now we are getting to that pivotal point where we are about to [pay] a $1000 a month," Weeden said, describing the strain on his household budget.

Weeden said the community he lives in is made up mostly of retired residents who depend on fixed Social Security income, leaving little room to absorb repeated lot rent increases. He has been pressing neighbors and county officials alike for answers on what the new law will actually mean for them.

What Pasco County is doing now

Pasco County officials say they are working to fold the new mobile home strategy into the county's local housing assistance plan, the document that governs how SHIP dollars get spent locally. Officials say funding could be available to eligible residents as early as next year, though the county has not released a timeline for when applications might open or how much money will be set aside for lot rent assistance.

Zephyrhills has a sizable stake in how this plays out. The city's own housing element identifies 10 mobile home parks and five mobile home or RV subdivisions within city limits, a reflection of how central manufactured housing is to the local retirement community. For many of those residents, a state law that finally treats lot rent as an eligible housing expense is a meaningful shift, even if the practical rollout is still months away.

What the law changes on paper

• Counties and cities must now include a mobile home strategy in their SHIP local housing assistance plans.
• SHIP funds can cover up to six months of lot rent for eligible residents.
• SHIP money can also go toward emergency repairs and storm hardening for mobile homes.
• The old rule capping manufactured housing at 20% of a county's SHIP funds has been removed.

Weeden said the uncertainty is what worries him most, both for his own finances and for his neighbors'. He has been asking people in his community a blunt question: whether they are afraid of reaching a point where they cannot pay lot rent and still afford food.

Pasco County has not said exactly when it will finalize the updated housing assistance plan or open applications for lot rent help. Residents looking for updates on the county's housing assistance programs can check with Pasco County's community development office as the plan takes shape in the coming months.

Want to keep up with how this affects Zephyrhills? Visit Zephyrhills Community Website for ongoing coverage, and join the conversation in our Community Forum to share how rising lot rent is affecting your household. For more coverage on decisions shaping the city, read more government and politics stories or check out our community stories.