(a) This part shall be known and may be cited as the Manufactured Housing Act of 1980.

(b) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) Manufactured housing, both in mobilehome parks or manufactured housing communities, and outside of those parks or communities, provides a safe and affordable housing option for many Californians.

(2) Confusion exists among consumers, enforcement agencies, lenders, and others in the housing industry regarding the difference between “manufactured housing” and “mobilehomes.” All single-family factory-constructed housing built on or after June 15, 1976, that is in compliance with the standards of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development promulgated under the federal National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 5401 and following) are manufactured housing or manufactured homes, not “mobilehomes” and, as such, often are subject to additional benefits.

(3) Continued use of the term “mobilehome” in various statutes, as well as the implication that the terms are interchangeable, exacerbates the confusion between the two products and deters affordable financing, discourages use in certain localities, and perpetuates incorrect perceptions as to codes and standards.

(4) The changes made by the act adding this subdivision to clarify the meaning of the terms “mobilehomes” and “manufactured homes” are not intended to effect any substantive change with respect to the treatment of those housing products or to the consumer protections provided for those housing products.

(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 540, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2008.)