Op-Ed: Supporting HB 442 Mobile Home Housing Rights

Many Alamogordo residents are aware of the recent issues involving water and gas repairs at three mobile home parks in Alamogordo. Issues that required the New Mexico Attorney General's office to force owners to make repairs. Some residents at these parks have been told to expect significant rent increases as a result of the owners being forced to make repairs. Residents of one park (Desert Palms) involved in the repairs have also been presented with a new rental agreement by owner/management. The agreement contains a provision that residents will waive their rights to a jury trial regarding any issues with the rental agreement. I'm sure the owner would love to avoid potential future jury litigation since he is one of the owners the AG went after to make repairs.

Ever increasing lot rent by park owners continues to be a hot topic especially to senior citizen park residents who are living on limited or fixed incomes. HB442 has been introduced in the current 2025 New Mexico legislative session. Its purpose is to place a maximum rent cap increase on owners of mobile home parks and only allow one increase per any 12-month period. The first committee held hearings on HB442 yesterday, February 22, 2025, and voted 4-2 to pass the bill onto the next committee for review. All of this is the process that bills have to go through before they are finally voted on by the entire legislature.

Two of the committee members voted against forwarding the bill for further review. One of the two members voting against HB442 was Otero Representative John Block. Yes, your own Otero Representative voted against rent stabilization. Mr. Block has cited his reason for voting "No" because the bill, if passed, would not take effect until July 1, 2025. Mr. Block stated this would allow park owners to make significant rent increases prior to July 1, 2025.

Mr. Block is sorely uniformed regarding the New Mexico Mobile Home Park Act. Under the Act as currently written, park owners can increase rents as often as they like with only a 60 day notice to park residents, and with no limit on how much of an increase they burden the renters with. One mobile home park in Albuquerque received 4 rent increases in a one-year period. Thus, Mr. Block citing the above reason for voting "No" is an example of how uniformed he is.
Mr. Block has stated that rent control in places like New York and San Francisco has been a disaster. He even called HB442 a socialist policy, and the fact that he's proud of his voting record

Mr. Block has stated he has received donations from hard-working small donors. (One of those donors happens to be an owner of an Alamogordo mobile home park!)

I hope the "hard-working" mobile home park residents of Alamogordo who are being subjected to ever increasing lot rents by predatory business owners remember Mr. Blocks proud "voting" record at the next election when you cast your vote.

- Gary Perry

Note: Gary Perry is a local advocate for senior citizens rights and fair housing. His series of articles on Mobile Home Park rights can be found via the links below...

New Mexico Mobile Home Act Special Educational Series Introduction

New Mexico Mobile Home Act Special Educational Series: Tenancy Termination

New Mexico Mobile Home Act Special Educational Series: Part 3

Mobile Home Park Act Educational Series Part 4 by Gary Perry

New Mexico Mobile Home Park Act Summary and Needed Changes Part 5