ARCHIVED NEWS
Calistoga (CA) Leverages Data on Mobile Home Parks
Excerpt from the latest article about this issue from the Napa Valley Register: Results of a study conducted on the demographics of Calistoga’s mobile home parks will be useful in securing future assistance programs for the seniors who occupy the parks, officials learned at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Read the complete article here.
Excerpt from the latest article about this issue from the Napa Valley Register: Results of a study conducted on the demographics of Calistoga’s mobile home parks will be useful in securing future assistance programs for the seniors who occupy the parks, officials learned at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Read the complete article here.
Pittsburgh Convening Reveals Opportunity to Test Manufactured Housing Done Right
On July 17, CFED’s Innovations in Manufactured Housing (I’M HOME) team convened a first-of-its-kind convening in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland-Pittsburgh Branch, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, Penn State University and ACTION Housing. Forty-five leaders of varied backgrounds—from community development to health to regional planning to the environment—gathered at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s Pittsburgh branch to talk about manufactured housing and to discuss the potential for creating a new, multi-year regional initiative targeted at improving financial, health and environmental outcomes for residents in manufactured housing. At the end of the day, there was a consensus that manufactured housing is “a vital part of the solution” to the region’s pressing challenges of affordable, healthy and energy-efficient housing for all types and ages of households.
Though the proportion of manufactured homes varies significantly by county, units in this region are typically older than homes elsewhere in the United States, making Southwestern Pennsylvania an ideal community for this initiative as older manufactured homes can have negative impacts on their owners’ health and wealth. Participants agreed that a vital first step must be to inventory units in their communities and to determine which units can be rehabilitated or replaced cost-effectively. In an effort to test an approach to manufactured housing done right in Southwestern Pennsylvania, CFED will convene working groups that will address issues including finance, fundraising and more.
Participants in the meeting hailed from eight counties (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland Counties), representing developers, academics, lenders, foundations and service providers, plus CFED partners Next Step and ROC USA. A number of the collaborators have experience with manufactured housing, and nearly all demonstrated enthusiasm to find ways that manufactured housing can help meet the needs of low-income families in their communities. Through this slate of committed partners, CFED hopes to glean powerful insights about the intersections of health, housing, aging and financial security, and we look forward to updating you as we learn more.
On July 17, CFED’s Innovations in Manufactured Housing (I’M HOME) team convened a first-of-its-kind convening in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland-Pittsburgh Branch, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, Penn State University and ACTION Housing. Forty-five leaders of varied backgrounds—from community development to health to regional planning to the environment—gathered at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s Pittsburgh branch to talk about manufactured housing and to discuss the potential for creating a new, multi-year regional initiative targeted at improving financial, health and environmental outcomes for residents in manufactured housing. At the end of the day, there was a consensus that manufactured housing is “a vital part of the solution” to the region’s pressing challenges of affordable, healthy and energy-efficient housing for all types and ages of households.
Though the proportion of manufactured homes varies significantly by county, units in this region are typically older than homes elsewhere in the United States, making Southwestern Pennsylvania an ideal community for this initiative as older manufactured homes can have negative impacts on their owners’ health and wealth. Participants agreed that a vital first step must be to inventory units in their communities and to determine which units can be rehabilitated or replaced cost-effectively. In an effort to test an approach to manufactured housing done right in Southwestern Pennsylvania, CFED will convene working groups that will address issues including finance, fundraising and more.
Participants in the meeting hailed from eight counties (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland Counties), representing developers, academics, lenders, foundations and service providers, plus CFED partners Next Step and ROC USA. A number of the collaborators have experience with manufactured housing, and nearly all demonstrated enthusiasm to find ways that manufactured housing can help meet the needs of low-income families in their communities. Through this slate of committed partners, CFED hopes to glean powerful insights about the intersections of health, housing, aging and financial security, and we look forward to updating you as we learn more.
OSTA Review Summer 2014
The current OSTA Review, the quarterly newsletter of Manufactured Housing/OSTA, is attached to keep you aware of Oregon’s work to help residents of manufactured/mobile home parks by keeping them informed of their rights and connecting them to statewide support services.
Read the newsletter by clicking OSTA Review Summer 2014 (pdf).
The current OSTA Review, the quarterly newsletter of Manufactured Housing/OSTA, is attached to keep you aware of Oregon’s work to help residents of manufactured/mobile home parks by keeping them informed of their rights and connecting them to statewide support services.
Read the newsletter by clicking OSTA Review Summer 2014 (pdf).
Madison WI Mayor Attends Groundbreaking for New Community Shelter
Madison (WI) Mayor Paul R. Soglin discusses the new community/storm shelter in the Highland Manor Mobile Home Community groundbreaking in his blog:
I was really happy today to be able to attend the groundbreaking for a new and unique community/storm shelter in the Highland Manor Mobile Home Community. The Highland Manor Mobile Home Community is located on the city’s south side off of Moorland Road.
Read More...
Madison (WI) Mayor Paul R. Soglin discusses the new community/storm shelter in the Highland Manor Mobile Home Community groundbreaking in his blog:
I was really happy today to be able to attend the groundbreaking for a new and unique community/storm shelter in the Highland Manor Mobile Home Community. The Highland Manor Mobile Home Community is located on the city’s south side off of Moorland Road.
Read More...
Supreme Court Upholds San Rafael (CA) Rent Control
January 14,2014 - Supreme Court upholds San Rafael rent control
This is a story which was a long time in the making. When you click on the link, you will not only see the update, there are other clicks available to read through the entire story. Perseverance . . . Congratulations, California! ABC7News
January 14,2014 - Supreme Court upholds San Rafael rent control
This is a story which was a long time in the making. When you click on the link, you will not only see the update, there are other clicks available to read through the entire story. Perseverance . . . Congratulations, California! ABC7News
Tuscon is Improving Parks
May 7, 2014 - If unsafe and unsanitary trailers were condemned, if salvageable trailers were renovated, if park owners had an incentive to maintain their premises, trailer parks could become a lifeline for thousands of the area’s poorest residents, advocates say.
But that area’s shortage of affordable housing gets in the way of all those possibilities.Read the entire article by clicking here.
May 7, 2014 - If unsafe and unsanitary trailers were condemned, if salvageable trailers were renovated, if park owners had an incentive to maintain their premises, trailer parks could become a lifeline for thousands of the area’s poorest residents, advocates say.
But that area’s shortage of affordable housing gets in the way of all those possibilities.Read the entire article by clicking here.
Oregon Passes a Purchase Opportunity Law
May 6, 2014 - Homeowners in Oregon’s manufactured housing communities secured a big win this legislative session when they celebrated passage of HB 4038 – allowing them an opportunity to compete to purchase their community as a resident-owned cooperative. The legislation also extends the opportunity to purchase to nonprofit organizations and local housing authorities. Full information: click this link to read the article .
May 6, 2014 - Homeowners in Oregon’s manufactured housing communities secured a big win this legislative session when they celebrated passage of HB 4038 – allowing them an opportunity to compete to purchase their community as a resident-owned cooperative. The legislation also extends the opportunity to purchase to nonprofit organizations and local housing authorities. Full information: click this link to read the article .
111 Million Dollar Award to Trailer Park Residents in San Jose
April 21, 2014 - Last week, a San Jose civil jury awarded the residents $111 million, the largest such award for a failure-to-maintain lawsuit against a mobile home park in California. Previous awards in other California cases topped out around $12 million. Read article
April 21, 2014 - Last week, a San Jose civil jury awarded the residents $111 million, the largest such award for a failure-to-maintain lawsuit against a mobile home park in California. Previous awards in other California cases topped out around $12 million. Read article
You Kept NMHOA Running!
December 15, 2013 - My most heartfelt thanks to all of you wonderful people.Thanks to your generosity I was able to exceed my goal and raised more than $5,000 for the National Manufactured Home Owners Association (NMHOA). Every minute of training and every second of the run (especially up some steep Seattle hills) were well worth the effort. This is to thank all those of you who contributed through the indiegogo on-line process as well as the others who sponsored me prior to the indiegogo site being set up, or who donated off-line. I am delighted to share with you that we raised more than $6,000to keep NMHOA running into 2014! Ishbel Dickens, NMHOA Executive Director
December 15, 2013 - My most heartfelt thanks to all of you wonderful people.Thanks to your generosity I was able to exceed my goal and raised more than $5,000 for the National Manufactured Home Owners Association (NMHOA). Every minute of training and every second of the run (especially up some steep Seattle hills) were well worth the effort. This is to thank all those of you who contributed through the indiegogo on-line process as well as the others who sponsored me prior to the indiegogo site being set up, or who donated off-line. I am delighted to share with you that we raised more than $6,000to keep NMHOA running into 2014! Ishbel Dickens, NMHOA Executive Director
Virginia Gets ELS’ Attention!
July 4, 2013 - Below is a well-written article regarding a manufactured home community in Virginia owned by ELS. Following that is the response by the manager. It is the typical reaction, as if they have blinders on. When such similar stories are being told all over the country, maybe some day they will wake up and realize there is a problem(s), and have a meeting with the ELS Leadership Team, now formally recognized within the NMHOA structure as the Issues Committee, to discuss solutions. Winchester Star article
July 4, 2013 - Below is a well-written article regarding a manufactured home community in Virginia owned by ELS. Following that is the response by the manager. It is the typical reaction, as if they have blinders on. When such similar stories are being told all over the country, maybe some day they will wake up and realize there is a problem(s), and have a meeting with the ELS Leadership Team, now formally recognized within the NMHOA structure as the Issues Committee, to discuss solutions. Winchester Star article