Senate DFL Candidates Nat Smith and Senator Judy Seeberger Commit to Fighting for Manufactured Homes Residents at Community Roundtable
LAKE ELMO, MN — On Thursday evening, Senate DFL candidates Nat Smith (SD-33) and Senator Judy Seeberger (SD-41), alongside House candidate Cole Birkeland (41A) and candidate for Lieutenant Governor Ben Schierer, joined residents of Cimarron, Hugo, and Three Rivers manufactured home parks for a roundtable discussion.
The candidates and residents discussed the issues facing their communities including the rising lot rents driving residents out of affordable housing, aggressive tactics by corporate lot owners, their communities being sold and what has to happen legislatively to protect park residents moving forward.
During the 2026 legislative session, DFL lawmakers proposed a Manufactured Home Park Resident’s Bill of Rights package to protect Minnesotans who live in manufactured housing communities. This bill included capping exploitative lot rent increases and protecting residents from out-of-state private equity park owners. The legislation passed the Minnesota Senate, but Republican leadership in the House refused to take up the proposal.
Nat Smith said for the manufactured homes residents across Minnesota and the hundreds that live in his district, it is critical that legislators take the necessary steps to hold private interests accountable.
“I am honored to have been a part of this conversation and hope to have the opportunity to vote on supportive legislation in the coming session,” Smith said. “Manufactured home residents across the country are facing unprecedented levels of threat as a result of increased out-of-state private equity and corporate ownership and there has to be guardrails put in place to protect residents rights. Everyone deserves to have a roof over their head and not be unjustly priced or pushed out of their homes.”
Judy Seeberger said she wants to continue her work fighting for manufactured home communities and get legislation passed this coming session that meaningfully improves the quality of life for park residents but also protects residents from exploitative corporate management practices.
“This is something I have been working with the residents here in Cimarron for four years on because I have heard story after story of how people have been victimized here by predatory housing practices and it has to stop,” Seeberger said. “I was a proud supporter of the Manufactured Housing Bill of Rights and will continue to advocate, listen, and show up for the people in the community till they have the protections they deserve.”
Trevor Nelson, a Cimarron manufactured home park resident of eight years, said having elected officials and candidates running for office show up for these conversations is critical to pushing back against corporations and guaranteeing the future of manufactured housing in Minnesota.
“We don’t have the power to move the needle in a way that needs to happen to protect the rights of every homeowner living in these communities,” Nelson said. “To have representatives that understand what we are going through, get where we are coming from and are willing to say this is not right, means the world.”
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