ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A bill that gives mobile home park residents a path to purchase the land their manufactured home sits on, unanimously passed Albuquerque City Council Monday night.

It is the first meaningful solution since 4 Investigates revealed a troubling trend: Out-of-state investors buying mobile home parks to turn into cash cows.

Mobile home residents own their manufactured home, but inside mobile home parks they do not own the land. In Albuquerque, some mobile home park residents were surprised to find the land had been purchased by a new owner and rental rates for their lots started to skyrocket.

The Manufactured Home Community Stability and Empowerment Ordinance sponsored by councilor Nichole Rogers, creates a timeline of notices, and a duty for sellers to consider mobile homeowner’s purchase agreements if landowners want to sell. It stops short of giving mobile homeowners the first right of refusal to purchase the park but will prevent them from being surprised when new owners make changes to rental rates.

State Representative Marian Matthews spoke up at the council meeting explaining how she’s working at the state level toward solutions for mobile home park residents. 4 Investigates has shown Rep. Matthews previous attempts at strengthening protections for mobile home park residents.

Matthews said she’s hopeful some of her ideas will get another opportunity in the next legislative session, adding the unanimous vote in Albuquerque City Council sends the legislature, “a clear message,” there is need to address this issue now.