Funding to Clean up Abandoned Manufactured Homes is Here

Lost in the shuffle of legislators packing their bags to go home was any big announcement of a HUGE victory for rural communities.

Senate Bill 1492/ House 1233, “The Solid Waste Management Act of 2007″ was ratified and presented to Governor Mike Easley on August 3rd.  The bill focused primarily on how North Carolina will find enough landfill space to support the cast-offs of its burgeoning population.  Nonetheless, the bill also became the destination for CRA-NC’s legislative work to find a means to support counties dealing with their unwanted abandoned manufactured homes.

The bill is available here, but I’ll save you the time by presenting the text that deals with manufactured housing here:

Funds credited pursuant to G.S. 105‑187.63(3) to the Solid Waste Management Trust Fund shall be used by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to fund grants to State agencies and units of local government to initiate or enhance local recycling programs and to provide for the management of difficult to manage solid waste, including abandoned mobile homes and household hazardous waste. Up to seven percent (7%) of the funds credited under this subdivision may be used by the Department to administer this Part.”

So, this provides a funding source for counties that clean up their abandoned units.  The bill is silent on how that might occur.  That’s okay, though, because already counties including Scotland and Robeson are well on their way with their programs.