Fort Collins, Colorado has seen five manufactured home communities (MHCs) close in the last 20 years, displacing 461 families, and of the 14 remaining communities that represent 1,336 homesites, eight are set for redevelopment. MHProNews.com has learned 73 percent are owner-occupied. A study from 2012 to determine the place in the affordable housing inventory of manufactured homes in Fort Collins led to a recommendation that community owners give residents a specific time frame in which to move if they intend to close. Legally there is currently no requirement.

Sue Beck-Ferkiss, the city’s social sustainability specialist, says, “People do rely on this type of housing to get by, and there’s a place in our continuum for this type of housing. But whether all the parks that exist today are the best uses for that land value is a case-by-case analysis.” She says some of the communities have outdated infrastructure and would not be worth the investment to upgrade. Fort Collins is a college town, and rents for a small apartment run from $800-$1000, whereas a manufactured home can be rented for $300-$700, according to coloradoan.com. Meanwhile, Sunflower, a new 55-plus gated MHC, is being built in the northeast part of the city. ##

(Photo credit: thinkstock.com–manufactured housing community)