The future of a large senior citizens mobile home park in California is in play right now, its residents and owners unable to settle a dispute over the “fair” price for lot rents in the community.

Besaro Mobile Home Park in Fremont, California has 236 spaces.  The park is only for residents age 55 and older.  The park is under a rent control agreement for Alameda County that limits rent increases to 3 percent per year. Rents currently average about $669 per month.  The owners propose to raise rents to $895 per month – an increase of about 33 percent.  For some residents who are grandfathered in at lower rents, though, the increases could be as high as 49 percent.   At these prices, rents are relatively low.  (more…)

NPR has a great story highlighting the plight of families being forced out of their mobile homes in Washington State.

It is a combination of increasing land prices, a lack of public concern, and lack of available resources that contribute to the problem, according to the report.

States like Florida, Nevada, and Washington are among the states with the greatest turnover, says NPR reporter Austin Jenkins.  In spite of its status as our nation’s largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing, no national response exists to address the needs of the manufactured housing sector.

Yet many local initiatives are burgeoning.  Jenkins’ story highlights the co-op model in New Hampshire.  It also acknowledges the need for complementary approaches, such as acquisition through the non-profit model when land costs exceed the buying power of residents on their own.

A proposal before a North Carolina town would evict residents living in singlewides in order to create more affordable single family site built housing.  The middle income housing development, called Veridia, would also have sustainable amenities.

The Board of Aldermen of Carrboro, North Carolina have heard a request from Trip Overholt to redesign Pine Grove Mobile Home Park.  Overholt owns the park, which has 42 lots for singlewides.

The new homes would be about 1350 square feet and sell for almost $300,000.  Overholt believes this is an affordable price point.  He says that an appraiser analyzed the homes in the neighborhood near the park, and found that they are routinely greater than 3,000 square feet and sell for about $700,000. His plan would put 39 homes in the footprint of the existing area, set within a co-housing plan with common spaces for residents.

That price is probably affordable to middle class residents with two jobs.

A local paper refers to Carrboro as “the Paris of Piedmont.”  It recently celebrated Dennis Kucinich Day.  The Board of Aldermen have passed resolutions against the Patriot Act and the Iraq War.  A small town of just under 17,000, It is home to many academics, a local slow food movement, and a decidely different sense of land use.

The developer is seeking to exempt the development from an affordable housing requirement.  Carrboro’s rule would stipulate that six homes in this development be priced under $120,000.

The Aldermen might be attracted by the development’s plans to include a special water catchment system, its 18 solar panels, community garden, Energy Star homes, and common house.

Unsaid, but perhaps already acknowledged, is that the people living in the singlewides will have to find a new home.   The area of Carrboro is surrounded by Chapel Hill to the East and some land zoned for agriculture to the West, South, and North.  The town of Hillsborough is about nine miles away.

The developer acknowledges that he is not building this development to make a huge profit.  It is a dream to see this kind of idea made into reality.

It is a dilemma, though, for Carrboro’s leadership.  The plan presents an opportunity to put in place some ecologically sound land-use planning.  It comes with a definite cost for the homeowners that will be forced to move on, made homeless by government fiat.

This is an example of selective progressivism.   If Carrboro lets this go ahead, they will be complicit in allowing low-income households to be set back.  It is nice to utilize plans that build community.  Energy saving solar panels and rain water catchment are good ideas that more developers should consider.  But sustainability should be kind, not elitist.

Carrboro has some definite credentials as a blue Town.  But blue for whom?

So this is a controversial topic….but here goes.  I got an email the other day from one of the online media outlets that covers manufactured housing.  The article was basically asking people if they realized what a competitive advantage was afforded to landlords when they chose to rent to felons.

I have spent some time working with offenders.  A lot of them are working hard to become better citizens.  It can be hard to get a fresh start.  Many housing subsidies (including Section are not available to felons.

[polldaddy poll=1010758]

So this is a controversial topic….but here goes.  I got an email the other day from one of the online media outlets that covers manufactured housing.  The article was basically asking people if they realized what a competitive advantage was afforded to landlords when they chose to rent to felons.

I have spent some time working with offenders.  A lot of them are working hard to become better citizens.  It can be hard to get a fresh start.  Many housing subsidies (including Section are not available to felons.

[polldaddy poll=1010758]