On Monday, State Representative Paula Stark, District 47, hosted a news conference at the Sugar Mill Mobile Home Park in St. Cloud to discuss the implications of the recently passed House Bill 613 and the future steps for mobile homeowners in Florida. House Bill 613, the “Mobile Home Park Lot Tenancies” bill, passed in the 2024 Florida Legislature and will become effective on July 1. The law should give mobile home park residents more rights.
Rep. Stark addressed a full audience, highlighting the recent passage of HB 613, co-sponsored by Senator Colleen Burton of Polk County. This new law aims to foster a more collaborative and transparent relationship between mobile homeowners and park owners. Stark emphasized that the bill is a crucial step toward addressing ongoing issues within mobile home parks, including rent stability, mediation processes, and the rights of seniors to have live-in aides without incurring additional rental costs.
“I’m so happy that so many mobile home park residents came out to better understand HB 613 and what this means for them,” Stark stated during the conference. “We still have work to do, and I need their help. It is important that the homeowner is represented and not taken advantage of when it comes to rent, housing stability, and live-in health care aides.”
The impetus for HB 613 originated from issues identified within District 47’s mobile home parks, such as Sugar Mill and Lake Runnymeade Mobile Home Park in St. Cloud. Stark’s advocacy was driven by reports of unfair practices and poor conditions in these parks, which mirrored concerns across the state. HB 613 is designed to enhance the quality of life for mobile home residents by ensuring they have advance notice of rent increases, streamlined mediation processes, and protections for having live-in healthcare aides.
In addition to Rep. Stark, the event featured other notable attendees, including residents from Sugar Mill and Lake Runnymeade Mobile Parks, representatives from the MH Action Committee, and PoderLantix, a civic organization focused on empowering the Latin and Hispanic communities. These representatives were on hand to answer questions and to provide further insights into how HB 613 will affect local mobile mark residents.
During the news conference, Stark assured attendees that her office would continue to work diligently to ensure the bill’s provisions are effectively enacted and that residents’ voices are heard throughout the process.
For further updates, residents are encouraged to stay in touch with Rep. Stark’s office by calling her local office at (407) 846-5150, and by participating in upcoming community meetings.
