However, he says it is no surprise, as former MHCW Legislative Chair Ron Hess said in a 1994 letter to the association members: “[f]or economic and political reasons, exacerbated by the effect of the Growth Management Act, affordable housing is headed for a crisis.”
Interestingly enough, 1994 saw 7,332 manufactured homes (MH) sited that year in the state, a peak year, as opposed to 661 in 2013, theolympian relates to MHProNews. But Hess could see the future: “(The) Growth Management Act is now putting in place 20-year plans that will control the shape of the future. [Manufactured housing communities] are not faring well at all under these local plans. This is a critical issue for the future of our industry with a great ripple effect.”
The Growth Management Act, designed to protect the environment and promote sustainability, also artificially limits the availability of buildable land, in particular for new manufactured home communities, much needed as affordable housing. Although there are over 75 MHCs in Thurston County, very few new MHCs have been built in the last 20 years, says Hillis.
A 2014 Buildable Lands Report predicts there will be fewer people living in MH in 20 years “..when we should be providing additional housing options. Manufactured home communities are a smart, practical, affordable and sustainable option for meeting a variety of housing needs and lifestyles,” says Hillis.
The average price of a manufactured home is below $100,000, and with monthly site rent around $700, the total is less than almost any type of non-subsidized housing in the Seattle area.
“Buildable land supply, suitable zoning and permitting predictability for manufactured homes must be part of any conversation about how we tackle the affordable housing crisis,” says Hillis. ##
(Photo credit: MHVillage–Vantage Glen MHC, Renton, Washington–part of the Greater Seattle area)
