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Planetizen: How to Make Manufactured Housing More Resilien

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A valuable source of affordable housing in the United States is also one of the most vulnerable housing types to climate hazards. Over 5 million manufactured housing units are located in areas exposed to climate hazards, and are often in communities with limited resources for recovery.

According to a report from the Urban Institute, “By prioritizing climate safety, policymakers can improve housing security for the 18 million Americans living in manufactured housing today and unlock changes that will improve the resilience of future manufactured homes.”

The report highlights key policy changes that the federal government could make to...

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Another overall positive commentary on the industry, but from the perspective of weather events and calling for greater federal/state/city support of mobile home parks.

Jomfruland.net: Unlocking Hidden Wealth: Why Manufactured Home Communities Are Your Next Smart Investment

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Diving into the world of real estate can be daunting, but investing in manufactured home communities offers a unique and rewarding opportunity. These often-overlooked gems have proven to be particularly resilient, thriving in a landscape where housing affordability is a pressing issue. The demand for these communities remains steady, as moving a manufactured home is no easy feat.

Leading the charge in this niche market are Sun Communities and Equity LifeStyle Properties—two real estate investment trusts (REITs) excelling in offering attractive dividends. Sun Communities operates 288 manufactured housing sites and boasts a staggering 660...

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Our thoughts on this story:

Another positive article with no woke trappings at all.

The Minnesota Star Tribune: Jury mostly sides with mobile home park owners in lawsuit alleging negligence

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MARSHALL, MINN. – The roads at Broadmoor Valley, the largest mobile home park in Lyon County, were pocked with suspension-jarring potholes, some a few yards wide and filled with January’s snowmelt.

Just hours before and a few miles away, Bennett Hartz, assistant attorney general for Minnesota, made an impassioned speech on the conditions at the park during his closing arguments against the owners of Broadmoor Valley.

A civil lawsuit, launched with great fanfare in 2021 by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, accused controversial Colorado businessman Paul Schierholz and his company Schierholz and Associates of neglecting...

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The final argument by the Minnesota Attorney General’s office, which filed the suit, was struck from the record after warnings about misstatements.

I’ve never even heard of that before. Sounds like the tide is turning, as I discussed last week.

CBS19: Habitat for Humanity gives an update on mobile home park

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- The mobile home park on Carlton Avenue faced an uncertain future just months ago, but today, residents are still in their homes, and there are no plans to change that.

During the summer of 2024, Carlton Mobile Home Park was set to be sold to a private developer.

But Habitat for Humanity and the city of Charlottesville quickly secured the funds to match the offer, ensuring that everyone living there could stay.

"We've been thrilled, thrilled with what's been going on over the last few months," said Dan Rosensweig, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville.

Following...

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While residents were concerned about housing affordability, Habitat says there is a plan in place. "We promised we'd keep rent stable, and we don't plan to redevelop for a while so we can work together to plan the future," Rosensweig said.

What a mess for the residents who originally celebrated Habitat for Humanity outbidding the corporate buyer who wanted to keep this as a mobile home park. Instead, they now are realizing that Habitat is going to tear the park down and build apartments on the land in the near future. Pretty sneaky non-profit antics, right? Not really. All these non-profit deals are built on short-term debt, and that means short-term commitment. The corporate owner would have left it a mobile home park, probably forever. Shame on the media for relentlessly supporting the “non-profit owned” community concept

NBC MIAMI: ‘It's been a hard process': Families move out of Sweetwater mobile home park by first deadline

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Friday is the deadline for people at a Sweetwater mobile home park to move out of their homes and receive the highest possible financial incentive package.

Tenants of the Li’l Abner Mobile Home Park were told in November they had to move out by May. On Thursday, several moving trucks were seen throughout the neighborhood.

Rocio Loaisiga has lived with her mom at Li’l Abner for about 10 years. They spent Thursday moving out the last of their things. On Friday, they'll leave and they won't look back.

“It's been a hard process,” Loaisiga said. “It was very hard for us to move out.”

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Our thoughts on this story:

Lil’ Abner Mobile Home Park is being torn down to make way for a giant apartment complex. Once again, the lot rents were not high enough to make the land more compelling to remain as a mobile home park. It’s the same old story we cover week after week. Mobile home parks make perfect spots for a large number of uses and apartments are hard to beat since they can be stacked two or three high and mobile homes can’t.

But there’s another part of the Lil’ Abner story that is also worthy of discussion:

“We were planning on moving it, but it would have taken too long and it was costing us around $32,000”

Federal, state and city bureaucracy is a big reason that mobile homes are anything but “mobile”. The media always wants to blame it on park owners, but they have nothing to do with the simple cost and process of moving mobile homes. In HUD states the cost of moving is doubled or tripled because they require concrete pads, piers or runners to be built under the home, with no appreciable value for the customer to do so. In Texas, for example, they require no such concrete structures and everything works fine.

KGET: Edison Mobile Home Park residents have hope due to new owner

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The Edison Mobile Home Park is under new management after residents were left in the dark for nearly two months due to a fire left two women dead. Flames destroyed two trailers and knocked out power to the park.

The new owner fixed sewer lines, hauled out old trailers and more.

“He told us that he’s gonna get power restored and get us rental agreements and all that. So that’s an upside … a little more hope to the dark situation we’re in,” said Shawn Highfill, a resident.

The new owner also replaced sewer lines and hauled out unfixable trailers. Highfill lives with his mother at the park. They share a studio...

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Our thoughts on this story:

The new owner also replaced sewer lines and hauled out unfixable trailers.

Another case of the “evil corporate landlord” ruining the quality of life for residents, right? Clearly, corporate owners are the ones that are putting millions of dollars annually into bringing old parks back to life. Nobody else is doing so. But all corporate owners typically get are insults. At least this writer was honest about the good work the new landlord was performing.

The Eastsider: Eagle Rock’s hidden gem: a thriving mobile home community

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Eagle Rock -- A half-block south of busy Colorado Boulevard is an anomaly: easy to overlook, the Eagle Rock Springs Mobile Home Community is an acre of truly affordable housing in an increasingly expensive area.

“We joke it’s like the Hotel California here,” says resident Brandie Posey, reflecting how owners love and hold onto their mobile homes until death or a necessary relocation.

A podcaster and comedian, Posey occupies a spacious 950-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath mobile home. The ceiling shows a bright blue sky and white cloud scene (left by the previous owner) and there are funky wooden features. She bought it in 2014 for...

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She credits manager Danielle Sargent for revamping the culture of a community that, for years, had struggled with drugs, prostitution and other issues. Now there are potlucks and sing-alongs, as well as neighbors who deliver food after surgery, watch your pet when you’re out of town, or stop by to chat for no particular reason. Sargent took on the managerial role 10 years ago because of her background in construction and property management, and because she believes in the communal power of a mobile home community.

OK, that’s a change. A positive article about mobile home parks. Wow.

The News&Observer: Apartments, townhomes could replace Cary mobile home park, plans show

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Hundreds of apartments and townhomes could replace one of Cary’s two mobile home parks, preliminary plans shared with the town show.

Two pre-application meetings were held last fall among the town, the owner of Chatham Estates Mobile Home Park and WithersRavenel, a Raleigh-based engineering firm.

A concept plan by WithersRavenel dated Oct. 2 showed 90 townhomes and 328 multi-family units on 27 acres at 607 Cedar St., which is the mobile home park’s address.

On Dogwood Street, the opposite side of the park, the plan shows a three-story building with 26 apartments on each floor with a pool and gathering space.

The preliminary plans come...

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Our thoughts on this story:

A concept plan by WithersRavenel dated Oct. 2 showed 90 townhomes and 328 multi-family units on 27 acres at 607 Cedar St., which is the mobile home park’s address.

Clearly, being able to replace around 270 mobile home park lots that rent for $400 per month with 90 townhomes and 328 apartments that will rent for around $2,000 per month is a no-brainer financially. And this is the story for most of the mobile home parks in the U.S. in the years ahead. As I’ve been writing about for years now, mobile home parks make ideal redevelopment parcels as they have 1) great locations 2) great road frontage 3) access to all utilities 4) the correct acreage size and 5) the city is willing to give out whatever permits you need to get the park torn down. The sooner that people understand this, the better. Owners are not stuck with mobile home parks as their only option, and only higher lot rents will fend off the wrecking ball. In this case, the lot rents simply weren’t high enough.

AZ Mirror: Sedona can disallow short-term rentals in trailer parks, judge rules

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A lawsuit filed by the Goldwater Institute against the City of Sedona, its mayor and city manager for refusing to give a short-term rental permit to the owner of a mobile home park was dismissed.

At the center of the dispute was a 2016 law that barred cities and municipalities from banning short-term rentals. Groups like Airbnb and Vrbo have taken heat from locals and lawmakers since the 2016 law’s passage as the state’s affordable housing stockpile has rapidly decreased. 

Sedona has seen major impacts from the short-term rental industry, with effects felt sharply by the service industry workers employed by the hospitality industry that...

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Our thoughts on this story:

What are they smoking at Sedona city hall? The state has a law that says that mobile home parks allow short term rentals. The City of Sedona apparently doesn’t care what the law says. So they found some woke judge that hates the Republican-led state fathers so much that they will rule against anything they say. Now it gets appealed and the judge’s ruling gets tossed. What a waste of taxpayer funds. Pitiful.

KOB4: Mobile home park residents hope new ordinance will protect them

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — For residents in Albuquerque Meadows the fight for protection started ever since an out-of-state company bought the land their community sits on.

That was in 2021, and since then residents said their rent has gone up significantly while necessary fixes and upkeep have diminished.

But now, they have hope.

“I remember at least three times coming to you talking about this, and so it’s great because we’re finally actually doing something about it,” said Albuquerque mayor Tim Keller.

And with that signature, the latest ordinance in Albuquerque is officially in place, providing more protections for manufactured homes.

Often...

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Our thoughts on this story:

This article is wrong on so many counts:

  • The false assertion that lot rent of $1,000 per month in Albuquerque is “horribly high” when the average apartment rent in Albuquerque is $1,708 per month and the average single-family home is priced at $308,000. When mobile home park lot rents are 40% lower than apartments and 80% less than the single-family home mortgage and taxes, it would seem to me that mobile home park lot rents are actually very low NOT high.
  • The false claim that corporate owners somehow lead to lower property condition when, in fact, they are well-known to inject million of dollars into large properties, such as this one, to bring infrastructure and cosmetics back to life – something that former mom and pop owners often let deteriorate over the decades and have no money to fix.
  • The false concept that residents are having to cut back on prescription drugs and food solely as a result of higher mobile home park lot rents. As you may be aware, while all prices in the U.S. rose roughly 20% during the disastrous Biden administration, food alone is the fastest inflating commodity. On top of that, housing is only the fifth largest cost for Americans, eclipsed by health insurance, childcare, transportation and taxation. Those have risen faster than mobile home park lot rents and it’s beyond ridiculous to pretend that somehow only the mobile home park lot rent is the culprit of people being broke.
  • The false narrative that somehow tenants could buy parks and lower the lot rents. Since the bulk of the cost would be to service the debt – at the exact same price as a corporate owner – plus utilities, insurance, property taxes and repairs that would all be the same regardless of ownership, the truth is that tenants pay the exact same amount no matter who the buyer is.

While the writer of this article may think that you are dumb enough that they can convince you that 2+2 = 5, hopefully they failed.

Ana Maria Island Sun: Pines owners offer to sell to homeowners for $75 million

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BRADENTON BEACH – In a Jan. 27 letter to the Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association (HOA), Pines Park Investors LLC offered to sell the mobile home park to the residents for $75 million.

At that price, each of the 86 mobile homeowners would be responsible for $872,093.02.

“This has got to be a joke,” said one Pines resident, who asked not to be named.

On Aug. 5, 2023, Pines Park Investors, LLC purchased the 2.78-acre waterfront mobile home property from The Jackson Partnership LLLP for $16.25 million. The manager of Pines Park Investors LLC is Shawn Kaleta.

The park sustained damage from both Hurricanes Helene and Milton but many...

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BRADENTON BEACH – In a Jan. 27 letter to the Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association (HOA), Pines Park Investors LLC offered to sell the mobile home park to the residents for $75 million. At that price, each of the 86 mobile homeowners would be responsible for $872,093.02.

To make this mobile home park worth $872,093 per lot, at a 6% cap rate, would require a monthly lot rent of around $8,000 per month. That’s probably not going to work. Some mobile home parks can’t make sense continuing in that capacity regardless of how high you raise the lot rent.

The Daily Evergreen: https://dailyevergreen.com/184383/news/this-is-the-way-homelessness-starts/

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Residents of Campus Vista and University Mobile Home Park are facing a 22% rent hike, in addition to new utilities fees and a $50 monthly fee for extra parking.

Larry McGee, a former WSU custodian and current resident, said the rent hike will cripple the community.

“The lot rent increase, as it stands now, is putting [people] in a real bind and some of them might end up homeless,” McGee said. “This is the way homelessness starts.”

Former WSU student and current University of Idaho law student and park resident Denver Mickali said many residents are elderly, disabled or both. The extra rent burden is not an option.

“They’re in their late...

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Mellissa Finch, who inherited the park after her mother’s passing in 2024, said the reason for the rent increase is property taxes have been raised from $4,400 to $37,000 and insurance prices have risen.

Oh, I see how it is. The property taxes go up by 1,000% and the park owner is just supposed to shrug that off. Instead of complaining to the park owner, why not complain to the tax assessor.

As for the potential for homelessness here, it’s not the lot rent increasing that’s the risk, it’s probably going to be Ms. Finch realizing how much more this parcel is worth in a different use. That’s going to come to her soon enough as the tenants deliberately create so much mental anxiety that there will soon come an offer from a developer and she’ll quickly agree.

Littleton Independent: Meadowood Village residents purchase their mobile home park in Littleton, locking in affordable housing for decades to come

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After almost a year of paperwork, grant applications and meetings, the residents of a mobile home park in Littleton are now the proud owners of the land beneath their homes.

In purchasing the park, the residents of Meadowood Village have gained control of the property and have locked in affordable housing for at least 30 years, based on the terms of their loan agreements.

Last spring, the residents received notice of a corporation’s intent to buy the park, which is located on the west side of Santa Fe Drive, just north of Breckenridge Brewery. Since then, the residents, who are mostly over the age of 55, have worked together to achieve...

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The cooperative did have to increase some land rents to have enough revenue to pay off interest from its loans, said David Stouder, who serves as the board’s operation manager. Land rents, which formerly ranged somewhere between $780 and $995 per month, will now be $960 per month for all residents, he said.

So the residents had to raise the rent – on day one – from $780 to $960 per month? That’s compared to the $50 or so raise the corporate owner was proposing. Yeah, that’s a pretty big success … having the rent go up nearly $200 per month right out of the chute. It’s bizarre that they aren’t embarrassed to tell this tale.

But that’s not nearly embarrassing enough. Up to bat next will come the park falling apart as the tenant managers will fail to collect rent or enforce rules on their friends as well as never being able to raise additional capital to make repairs. Maybe these folks haven’t head about the other great tenant buyout of the Sans Souci Park, also in Colorado. Read this article when you have a chance.

Times Union: Saratoga Planning Board starts approval process to bulldoze mobile home park

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SARATOGA — Despite pleas and shouting from an audience of nearly two dozen people, the town’s Planning Board on Wednesday approved a negative state environmental assessment for a boat and RV storage facility — one that would replace a mobile home park.

Before approving the review for the Boat N RV Condos, the chair of the Planning Board Walt Borisenok said the concerns of the audience — mainly concerning a contractual agreement to not change the use of the property until 2026 — are not in his purview and therefore the plan to approve a Saratoga Lake project will move forward.

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“We evaluate special-use permits, if they are allowable by the town,” Borisenok told the audience, some of whom tried to shout him down calling him a “coward” and a “liar.” “We do subdivisions, site plan approval. That’s what we do here.”

Yes, and another park bites the dust. Is anyone paying attention here? Only higher lot rents stop redevelopment. Once again, in this case, the lot rents simply weren’t high enough.

Prism: How a mobile home community in South Florida is organizing against a looming eviction

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The fuschia hibiscus bush encircling Sergio Zamora’s home in Li’l Abner Mobile Home Park was planted over 30 years ago. Zamora’s in-laws planted the bush as a young seedling, knowing that over time, it would act as a natural fence for the property in Florida. Behind the verdant veneer, a screened porch houses a collection of orchids, tended to with care by Zamora’s family over three decades. But soon, the orchids will need to find new homes, and the hibiscus bush will become dust as tenants in the enclave are threatened with a potential eviction.

Residents were ordered to leave the mobile home park in Sweetwater, Florida, when its...

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Residents were ordered to leave the mobile home park in Sweetwater, Florida, when its management company, CREI Holdings, announced plans to redevelop the site into government-subsidized affordable housing, displacing nearly 6,000 residents across 900 homes. Notices were issued in October 2024, giving residents until May 19 to make alternative living arrangements, a move many residents and legal experts argue violates Florida’s landlord-tenant statutes. 

Yes, even non-profits have figured out that mobile home parks make for GREAT redevelopment parcels. Once again, these 6,000 residents could have been saved from all of this if the lot rents had been high enough to make it the best use of the land. They failed.

Coast TV: New bill seeks to protect manufactured home residents in Delaware

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DELAWARE - A new bill introduced in Delaware’s Senate could bring stronger protections for people living in manufactured home communities. Senate Bill 40, introduced on Jan. 10, aims to address landlord violations and improve living conditions for tenants.

, sponsored by Sen. Walsh and co-sponsored by several other lawmakers, makes repeated violations of rental agreements or state housing laws by landlords a violation of the state’s Consumer Fraud Act. 

Additionally, the introduced bill empowers the Attorney General to petition Justice of the Peace Courts to establish receiverships for manufactured home communities under specified...

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Our thoughts on this story:

If you own a mobile home park in Delaware, it’s apparently time to start calling land brokers to get your parcel on the market for a better use. The folks that run Delaware are clearly nuts.

Apartment Therapy: I Live in a Mobile Home — And It’s Great. Here Are the Pros and Cons of Mobile Home Life

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When my husband and I moved to Wisconsin, my in-laws owned a mobile home that they graciously offered to us rent-free. We were in the midst of paying off our debt, so the plan went like this: Work to pay off the debt, save to build up our emergency fund, save up for a down payment, buy a house. Over the years, we discovered there are pros and cons to mobile homes, especially as our plans changed and we spent longer in our mobile home than we expected.

After building our emergency fund, we found out we were pregnant and decided that my husband would stay home after our son was born while I continued to teach. That meant going down to one...

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Great article. Fair and balanced. I’m impressed.

Steamboat Pilot & Today: Yampa Valley Housing Authority: Preserving Routt County’s mobile home parks crucial for affordable housing

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As the cost of homeownership in Routt County spirals beyond reach for many, manufactured homes have emerged as one of the last affordable options for local families. Yet these vital sources of naturally occurring affordable housing are under threat.

Consider this: between 2010 and 2019, the number of manufactured homes in Routt County plummeted from roughly 1,300 units to just 788. By 2024, that number dropped further to 770, with only 407 located in Steamboat Springs. One recent bulwark against this decline is Colorado’s Mobile Home Park Act, which gives residents the right of first refusal if the owner intends to list it for sale,...

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Our thoughts on this story:

While I disagree with the premise that mobile home parks are best served by resident ownership (which I have discussed in detail every week) the article explores more than that one item and concludes that mobile home parks are important for the community and should be saved from redevelopment by perhaps having the state/county/city gift the necessary infrastructure repair that many older parks face, as well as to help residents obtain the funds to buy them, when possible.

Once again, overall, a favorable article for the industry.

AOL: Apartments, townhomes could replace Cary mobile home park, plans show

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Hundreds of apartments and townhomes could replace one of Cary’s two mobile home parks, preliminary plans shared with the town show.

Two pre-application meetings were held last fall among the town, the owner of Chatham Estates Mobile Home Park and WithersRavenel, a Raleigh-based engineering firm.

A concept plan by WithersRavenel dated Oct. 2 showed 90 townhomes and 328 multi-family units on 27 acres at 607 Cedar St., which is the mobile home park’s address.

On Dogwood Street, the opposite side of the park, the plan shows a three-story building with 26 apartments on each floor with a pool and gathering space.

The preliminary plans come...

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Our thoughts on this story:

No surprise for anyone who reads this weekly missive, as I have been writing for years about the fact that mobile home parks are perfect for redevelopment as they have great locations on major roads, access to water and sewer, and are just the right amount of acreage for most uses.

If lot rents don’t go up substantially, many mobile home parks will be redeveloped in the years ahead.

WLAX/WEUX: Mobile home park in Altoona receives FEMA grant money

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ALTOONA, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – A mobile home park in Eau Claire County is receiving grant money from FEMA to help build a safe room.

The $70,000 grant is going to the Hillcrest Estates mobile home park neighborhood in Altoona.

An administrator for FEMA says this project will give local residents a place to go when severe weather threatens the Altoona area.

This grant is the first of three increments of a $1.2 million investment to build a safe space for residents in and around the mobile home park.

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Our thoughts on this story:

It’s strange that they would be that concerned about a storm shelter in an area that rarely has a storm but it’s nice that the city is FEMA is gifting $70,000 to a mobile home park for this project.

The Business Journals: Tennessee group grabs more Eastern NC mobile home parks

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Once again, an out-of-state investor is pouring millions into acquiring a mobile home park in a eastern North Carolina.

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Our thoughts on this story:

They better hope that large, well-funded groups keep buying these mobile home parks as they are the only people who have the capital to fix the flooding issues in North Carolina that FEMA has no money to help with.

I’m impressed that there was no negativity to this article – that’s refreshing.

ALM GLOBEST: GMF Group Raises $250M For Manufactured Housing

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GMF Group has raked in roughly $250 million from the closing of its latest funding round and plans to keep up nationwide investments in housing communities.

Since launching GMF Group Fund II, the real estate firm has acquired 43 manufactured housing communities (MHCs) in both North Carolina and Florida. Plus, the company said it is under contract to buy five MHCs in undisclosed cities in the Midwest and Southeast regions, accounting for about 400 lots.

In addition to acquiring assets, Group Fund II is making renovations to properties, which includes improving infrastructure, bolstering amenities and common areas, paving and...

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Our thoughts on this story:

In addition to acquiring assets, Group Fund II is making renovations to properties, which includes improving infrastructure, bolstering amenities and common areas, paving and landscaping, as well as implementing new affordable homes. GMF, which has invested almost $30 million in its MHCs portfolio, hopes that these moves will provide a boost in value for both residents and investors.

Once again, I’m impressed that this writer, rather than advance the false narrative that “private equity groups make evil landlords”, instead told the truth that these well-capitalized buyers are the ones that have the money to bring old mobile home parks back to life.

CBS NEWS: Mobile home park residents want to rebuild

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Residents of a famous mobile home park in the Pacific Palisades not only have to deal with losses but also figure out if they need to pay rent. CBS News Texas reporter Trevor Sochocki talks to one couple who wants to rebuild.

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Our thoughts on this story:

I have no idea how anyone in Pacific Palisades can ever overcome everything that has happened there, but just the fact that there were mobile home parks in such a prestigious area elevates most American’s opinion of the mobile home park product.

Idaho Press: Boise dedicates $6.7 million HUD award to preserve city-owned mobile home park

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The city of Boise announced Tuesday the receipt of $6.7 million to be dedicated to its affordable housing goals.

The award comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with Boise being one of 17 nationwide recipients that will dedicate the funds to “maintain, protect and stabilize affordable hosing,” a news release from the city said. Boise’s award will be used to preserve and maintain the Sage Mobile Home Park, a 2-acre mobile home park on the Boise Bench that houses 26 families and was originally purchased by the city in 2022.

“Keeping Boiseans in their homes is one of our top priorities when it comes to...

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The city of Boise announced Tuesday the receipt of $6.7 million to be dedicated to its affordable housing goals. The award comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with Boise being one of 17 nationwide recipients that will dedicate the funds to “maintain, protect and stabilize affordable hosing,” a news release from the city said. Boise’s award will be used to preserve and maintain the Sage Mobile Home Park, a 2-acre mobile home park on the Boise Bench that houses 26 families and was originally purchased by the city in 2022.

This is so stupid that it would make Gavin Newsom jealous. Boise, Idaho is going to spend $6.7 million to upgrade a 26-space mobile home park? That’s over $250,000 per mobile home! You could literally give each resident a mortgage-free, 3 bed/two bath brick home on an acre of land as opposed to wasting a quarter million dollars per trailer. How is this kind of stuff even possible? Talk about government waste! But where I’m really lost is that this park is already owned by the City of Boise. So are they saying they let the park fall apart to the point that it will take $6.7 million to put it back in usable condition? Surely the writer has these numbers wrong.

Ithaca Times: Working Group Aims to Keep Manufactured Housing Affordable & Sustainable

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The Tompkins County Legislature’s manufactured housing working group is working to address issues surrounding manufactured housing in the county, focusing on the need to improve energy efficiency, affordability, and community ownership.

Working group member Danielle Eiseman told the Ithaca Times, "The working group was created after the legislature brought up concerns about the energy costs and needs of constituents living in manufactured homes [and] we've been exploring these issues more deeply ever since." She added, “Since October 2022, our small informal group has been exploring a lot of the problems surrounding residents living in...

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Our thoughts on this story:

According to Brown, “What it really came down to, for me, was that this is truly affordable housing that you can own…[and] when investors buy these parks, they raise the rents and don't improve the infrastructure [and] it leads to ongoing issues for the residents.”

I have some basic factual problems with this often repeated, but factually incorrect, statement that include:

  1. When a park sells – whether to an investor or a non-profit – a giant mortgage is placed upon it. This requires a huge increase in rent to pay it off. Mom and pop could charge a tiny rent because they owned the park free and clear. So the only way that you can stop rents from going up, in the event of a park sale, would be for mom and pop to give the park away for free. Unlikely to happen.
  2. An investor and non-profit both have to pay the exact same water rate, sewer rate, electric rate, trash fee, property tax, insurance premium, repair bills – every single line item on the P&L. As a result, they both have to charge the same rent to cover those costs.
  3. If you read these articles every week, you will note that just last week the non-profit admitted that the tenants will be paying the same – or more – rent by buying the park themselves.
  4. Investors are much better managers and stewards of a property than the residents are. The residents lack the discipline to file evictions, make tough choices on rent levels, and enforce the rules.
  5. Professional investors, in fact, are the ONLY ones out there fixing aging park infrastructure and taking these old properties to the next level.
  6. I am yet to see a single park in the United States, purchased by a professional investor, that is not far nicer now than when they bought it.  

Would a “working group” accept these factual statements? Never. Common sense is left at the door when these types of committees get together. But the facts are still the facts and even if just one person reads this and understands the truth now, then it was worthwhile writing this. We can’t allow these lies to continue.