SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) California faces a severe shortage of housing, and manufactured housing communities provide housing to almost 509,000 Californians on approximately 363,000 manufactured park spaces.
(b) Manufactured housing communities are an important resource to address California’s housing needs.
(c) California faces a severe shortage of water supply. The state has promoted and required water conservation programs by water corporations, as defined in Section 241 of the Public Utilities Code, that are more widely administered through direct customer relations.
(d) Manufactured housing providers are responsible for providing water utility connections for residents to access water supplied to a master meter at their community from a water corporation.
(e) Manufactured housing providers remain the customer of the water corporation for the entire community while owning and operating utilities within the community, including water.
(f) The Legislature authorized a program to enable electrical corporations, as defined in Section 218 of the Public Utilities Code, and gas corporations, as defined in Section 222 of the Public Utilities Code, to directly serve residents in manufactured housing communities, giving residents access to Public Utilities Commission regulated rates and services, including a broad range of public purpose programs.
(g) It is in the interest of the state to have water corporations own and operate water systems within manufactured housing communities in order to provide water service to those residents as their customers.