Pamela Maxey

I am writing to express my support for Senate Bills 486-492 and Housing Bills 5157-5163.  My family has lived at Hillcrest Acres for 8 years. Hillcrest Acres is a Manufactured Housing Community owned by RHP Properties. Each year the standard of living goes down as our rent goes up. RHP Properties is a private equity firm that doesn't even do the bare minimum. We have been asking for streetlights for 5 years. I haven't felt safe outside of my home after dark in 5 years. Our streets have so many potholes that emergency vehicles have a hard time navigating here, let alone residents. Our water billing is erroneous. Some residents face eviction because they can't afford a water and sewer bill beyond what they have actually used but still have to pay because RHP Properties considers it "rent". That's how they get away with charging whatever they want.  

Our water and sewer systems are privately owned by the MHC owners and are not maintained, at all. They are well past their life expectancy. We have numerous water leaks all over the park at any given moment and sewage backing up into people's homes almost as often. We have very low water pressure throughout the MHC, which on its own is a violation of Michigans Safe Drinking Water Act. The Health Department, the City of Kalamazoo, the EGLE and the DHHS do not have authority to test our water, so we don't drink it. We over pay for water we can't drink, then we are forced to go out and spend more money on bottled water. All of these things are issues that this bill package will help with. And help is what we truly, desperately need. MHC's are the last affordable housing option for so many struggling among us.