This bill creates a new manufactured/mobile home rental assistance program and an office of mobile/manufactured home relocation and rental assistance within the Department of Commerce. It adds new sections to chapter 59.21 RCW, amends definitions in RCW 59.21.010, and references RCW 59.22.050 for administration. The department may adopt rules, will verify initial and continued eligibility, provide technical assistance to qualified tenant and resident organizations (subject to available funds), and administer both the existing mobile home relocation assistance program (chapter 59.21 RCW) and the new rental assistance program. The rental assistance is monthly and limited to the lesser of $200 or 50% of the tenant’s monthly lot rent. Eligible applicants are tenants who own manufactured/mobile homes on rented lots and factors the department must consider include low-income status (defined as under 80% of county median family income), age over 55, and experiencing rent increases outpacing inflation as measured by the implicit price deflator. Approved tenants may receive assistance for one year, must notify the department of changes in circumstance (including income or rent changes), and must reapply annually; the department must adjust or terminate assistance when circumstances change. The bill prohibits using the manufactured/mobile home park relocation fund (RCW 59.21.050) to provide this monetary rental assistance. The act includes a general fund appropriation of $2,000,000 (or as much as necessary) to the Department of Commerce for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, but also contains a nullification clause stating the act is void if specific funding for it is not provided in the omnibus appropriations act by June 30, 2025 (referencing this bill or chapter number). The text provided does not include the full provisions of RCW 59.21.050, the rest of chapter 59.21 RCW, or program-level details such as application procedures, documentation requirements, prioritization among applicants, overall program funding limits beyond the per-tenant cap, appeals or enforcement processes, or how the June 30, 2025 nullification deadline interacts with the fiscal year 2026 appropriation.

If enacted, low-income owners of manufactured or mobile homes who rent their lot could become eligible for monthly payments to help cover lot rent, capped at the lesser of $200 or half the monthly rent, with payments generally provided for up to one year and requiring annual reapplication and notification of income or rent changes. Priority factors the Department of Commerce must consider include being over age 55 and having experienced rent increases faster than inflation, so eligible older, lower-income residents facing steep lot rent spikes would likely see reduced monthly housing costs for the program year. The Department of Commerce would create and run a new office to verify eligibility, make payments, and offer technical help to tenant groups, and the legislature has set aside $2 million (or more as necessary) from the general fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026; however the relocation fund for park closures cannot be used for these payments. The act also depends on specific funding being included in the omnibus appropriations bill by June 30, 2025 or it becomes void, and key implementation details such as application rules, prioritization among applicants, total program caps, and appeals are not specified in the provided text.