APA Virginia's video: From Mobile to Noble: The Future of Manufactured Home Communities in Virginia

PRESENTER: Jonathan Knopf, Manufactured Home Community Coalition of Virginia Mobile home parks are a critical but widely misunderstood component of the affordable housing continuum. Many localities have long considered parks to be unwanted and obsolete land uses, and have intentionally sought to remove or redevelop them. At the same time, manufactured homes continue to provide the largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing in the nation. Unfortunately, this affordability comes with downsides. Park residents own their home but not the land, preventing wealth-building. Poorly-constructed older mobile homes are energy inefficient and difficult to repair, posing serious health and safety risks. Poor park management leads to housing instability and infrastructure problems. Fortunately, the tide is turning. Across the country, states and localities are beginning to recognize the unique role manufactured home parks play in satisfying affordable housing needs. New code enforcement practices, financing mechanisms, and ownership models are improving the lives and economic conditions of residents. But what does this mean for Virginia? This webinar will provide a brief history of mobile homes parks, describe their current status in Virginia with original research, and give an overview of the challenges they face. It will also feature examples of how communities in the state—and across the nation—are creating out-of-the-box solutions to equitably preserve parks, rather than try and make them disappear.