Can Mobile Homes/Manufactured Homes be Moved?

Trailers, mobile homes and manufactured homes are built in factories and transported over the road on axles and wheels to the site where they will be set up – whether that is in a rental community (mobile home park/manufactured housing community), or on privately owned land.  The manufactured home is set up on pillars, earthquake systems are installed on newer homes, the tires are removed, and siding or skirting is added.  Owners add steps to the front and back doors and, in many parks, carports and patios are installed with covers.  Driveways and landscaping are added and maintained by the mobile home owner renting the site. 

Once a mobile home is set in place, it can be moved the same way it was originally moved to the site.  If the home is multi-section (double or triple wide), the sections are divided and move along the roadway as single sections.  In many mobile home parks built in the 60s and 70s, the original homes are now 50 and 60 years old and are being replaced by newer manufactured housing.  Where do these older homes go?  Some go to Mexico or out of state, others to privately owned land or older mobile home parks in rural areas where they are fixed up and rented or sold.

Affordable Housing vs Low-Income Housing

There is lots of talk these days about the need for more affordable housing in the Southern California region.  It is important to recognize the difference between “low-income” housing and “affordable” housing. 

Low-income housing is subsidized by the government.  There are several projects throughout the region that are monitored by local government housing authorities.  An on-line search or call to the regional housing authorities will provide a list of available low-income housing rental projects.  Some projects are for veterans, seniors and others for all-ages.  There are also low-income for-sale housing projects sponsored by housing authorities and by organizations like Habitat for Humanity.

In these low-income housing developments, renters or home buyers must meet strict income guidelines.  Only low-income can qualify to live in these developments.  The income is determined by the income of the entire family and includes funds in the bank and investments.

Affordable housing, on the other hand, is not limited to low-income renters or purchasers.  There is no limit to the amount of income a person or family has.  It is their choice to live in the available affordable housing.  Apartments, condominiums, and mobile home parks/manufactured housing communities are considered affordable housing stock in the various individual jurisdictions housing elements. 

Mobile home Parks/Manufactured Housing Communities, offer a lifestyle choice that attracts a wide range of renters and buyers.  Mobile Home Park residents are both home owners and renters.  They own the mobile home or manufactured home and rent the site or lot within a Mobile Home Park to locate their home.  The Park is a little city that provides all of the services and facilities.  The owner of the Park is responsible, just like a city, to maintain the streets, utility systems, public areas and facilities. 

Living in Mobile Home Park is a lifestyle choice, not necessarily an income driven decision.  Residents living in Parks may be high income retirees or may have moderate incomes.  Many Mobile Home Parks are senior housing communities and attract seniors who are down-sizing after selling a home. 

Other Parks are attractive to families because, unlike an apartment and many condominiums, most lots/sites rented in a Mobile Home Park have yards, patios, and parking spaces adjacent to the home.  In addition, these communities often offer many amenities such as a clubhouse and pool, which are attractive to both seniors and families.

There is no doubt that the cost of housing in many areas of Southern California is higher than many other regions.  Inland counties such as Riverside and San Bernardino, a region referred to as the Inland Empire, offer considerably more reasonable housing than most areas of coastal Orange County, as an example.  While rents in a typical Orange County Mobile Home Park may be over $1,000 a month, a similar Park in areas of the Inland Empire rents are as low as $400 a month. 

In conclusion, when Cities and other government agencies are talking about the need for more affordable housing, they are NOT referring to building more Mobile Home Parks or Manufactured Housing Communities because on the same amount of land they can build many more units.  They are talking about and planning to build more and more high-rise apartments or condominiums. 

Living in a mobile home park provides a unique lifestyle for all ages and all income groups.

Possibility of Park Closure or Conversion

If you are a mobile home owner or you live in a mobile home park, you probably already know the possibility of park closure or park conversion. But are you familiar with the details of your rights in those scenarios? The following are some important facts you need to know — an excerpt from the pamphlet What Every Mobile Home Owner Should Know, published by the Senate Select Committee on Manufactured Home Communities.

What are my rights if the park is closed for conversion to another use?

Normally, a permit from the city or county planning agency or approval of a zoning change will be required to convert a mobilehome park to another use. If no local permits are required to convert the park to another land use, the management must give you a minimum 12-month written termination notice. Where permits are required, the park management must give homeowners at least a 15-day written notice that management will be appearing before the local agency to obtain a permit for the park’s change of use. The local agency must require the park to submit a report on the impact that the park’s conversion will have on the ability of residents to find alternative places to relocate, and the local agency, at its discretion, may require the park to pay the reasonable costs of residents’ relocation as a condition of obtaining the permits. Once all permits have been obtained, the management must give homeowners a six-month written termination notice. The park management must also give prospective homeowners a written notice of any planned park conversion before they move in.

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