Manufactured Home Parks
Here in Springfield, we want to be a welcoming community for all people to live through every phase of life. This includes having a variety of housing options at different price points that provide residents the opportunity to either rent or own a home depending on what fits their budget and needs. In recent years, the cost of housing has skyrocketed causing an increasingly larger gap between residents on a fixed or low-income and affordable housing. These Springfield residents include seniors, families with children, and young people. The City of Springfield has been exploring opportunities to help reduce that gap and keep our community affordable to live and grow in. To help achieve this overall goal, the City has had preliminary discussions with St Vincent de Paul of Lane County about identifying suitable property development of an affordable manufactured home park.
In 2021, the Oregon Legislature appropriated $3,000,000 in House Bill 5006 from the General Fund to the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department. This one-time appropriation is for one or more grants to nonprofit organizations for the purposes of developing or improving infrastructure for a manufactured home park in Springfield. The City of Springfield disbursed the grant funding to St Vincent De Paul of Lane County (SVDP), an Oregon nonprofit corporation, for the purpose of developing or improving infrastructure for a manufactured home park in Springfield.
Manufactured home parks are an affordable housing option as they can provide community members with limited incomes a housing option at less cost while maintaining overall independence. Manufactured homes, also known as modular homes, cost roughly 35% less than traditional stick-frame homes, but have many of the same in-home amenities. Manufactured home parks allow community members to own their home, but with less responsibility for upkeep of a yard. Parks with common areas can provide an immediate sense of community and neighborhood for residents.
Over 20 million Americans live in and own a manufactured home. That’s more than in public housing and federally subsidized rental housing combined.* The demand for opportunities to live and own a home in manufactured home parks is currently higher than the supply. Manufactured home parks provide an affordable and overall independent housing option.
*Per the federal Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD)
All manufactured homes, also known as modular homes, are manufactured to meet federal standards for safety and durability. In 1974, the federal government passed the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act that all manufactured home builders must follow. The federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency oversees the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards to ensure that standards are being met. Local and state governments ensure that building permits are obtained, and any local or state standards are followed.
While manufactured homes can be moved, it cannot be done without considerable effort, cost, and planning. Manufactured home standards require that the structure be strapped and secured in place. Traditionally, there is minimal turnover of residents within parks and in most manufactured home parks, residents have to meet eligibility standards and stay in good standing.
The Oregon Housing and Community Services Department has created a manufactured home displacement toolkit for residents of manufactured home parks that may or are closing. It is available on the State’s website – Manufacture Home Park Solutions Collaborative Local Agency Toolkit.
As more details are considered and confirmed, we’ll update this page and include information in future housing newsletters. Sign up for the housing newsletter here.