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The first rule in affordable housing is don’t lose what already exists. That backward step may soon happen in San Rafael, displacing low-income residents at 40 residences, unless the city acts decisively.
In a column last year, I suggested that an overlooked source of affordable rentals are mobile homes. There is no need for expensive construction. Traditionally, most park residents own their not-so-mobile structures, which are inexpensively customized for long-term living. All that’s needed is a concrete pad with drainage, water availability and electricity.
A recent incident at one Marin mobile home park is suddenly a hot topic. The...
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You gotta love the audacity of California bureaucrats. This is a terribly rundown park that is being sold for $2.7 million to a developer. But the city doesn’t want it to go. So they’re dreaming up alternatives. One they like a lot, apparently, is to force the seller to instead sell the park to the city. So here’s their logic:
Given that figure, the pro rata value per mobile home pad is $60,750. Compared to the high six-figure cost of building a single unit of affordable housing, the city’s purchase of this property makes economic sense.
Here’s a better, more Midwestern approach. Give every household in the park $60,750. Tell them to locate to a less expensive area and buy a stick built home for cash for $60,750 and live their lives free of rent or mortgage payments. Where can you find homes for $60,000? Small towns all over the U.S. Based on the photos, these residents are currently living in dilapidated travel trailers and 1950’s units. My proposal would be a blessing for all involved.