What state/local financial assistance is available to low-income mobilehome owners? Some programs that provide financial assistance to low-income or senior park residents include:

• Mobilehome Rehabilitation: Loans or grants are available to low-income mobilehome owners through the Department of Housing and Community Development’s CalHome program to make specified repairs on their mobilehomes. Although not all jurisdictions participate, the funds are channeled through qualified local government housing or non-profit agencies. For more information, check with your city or county housing department, authority or commission.

• Section 8 Housing Assistance: Rent subsidies may be available to eligible low-income residents who live in mobilehome parks. This program is funded by the federal government but administered by local housing agencies. Section 8 allocations are often full and many jurisdictions have waiting lists of a year or more. Not all mobilehome park owners accept Section 8 vouchers. For more information, check with your city or county housing department, authority or commission.

• Mobilehome Park Rehabilitation and Resident Ownership Program (MPRROP): On a limited basis, this program makes shortand long-term low interest rate loans for the preservation of affordable mobilehome parks for ownership or control by resident organizations, nonprofit housing sponsors, or local public agencies. MPRROP also makes long-term loans to individuals to ensure continued affordability. For more information about the MPRROP process and requirements, go to www.hcd.ca.gov/ grants-funding/active-funding/mprrop. shtml n

Source: What Every Mobile Home Owner Should Know, published by the Senate Select Committee on Manufactured Home Communities