In Bismarck, North Dakota, affordable housing is of vital importance.

And, according to the Bismarck Tribune, a group of manufactured home community owners are petitioning the city commission for the creation of a task force to keep manufactured home community living affordable.

 

“These homes represent the most affordable unsubsidized housing in Bismarck,” the letter from community owners reads.

“Unfortunately, Bismarck’s city policies unfairly burden the affordability of manufactured homes and impose on these homeowners costs which other homeowners are not asked to bear.”

According to Myron Atkinson, spokesman for the group, and owner of Tatley Meadows, the issue is the manner in which costs for water, sewer, property taxes and other services are calculated.

The current calculation leads to a higher price per unit for those living in manufactured home communities versus those in other residential properties.

“For example, sewer service is charged at a rate of $2.41 per unit for those with one to four families on a meter,” said Atkinson.

“For those with five or more on a meter, the rate is $2.92 per unit, meaning mobile home [sic] owners pay a higher rate even though they each own their homes individually.”

Atkinson shared that some progress has been made over the last year but there are still discrepancies.

Manufactured home owners were specially assessed at 200 percent of a special assessment basis, compared to 100 percent for a single-family dwelling.

While that percentage has been reduced to 150 percent, it’s still an issue for Atkinson.

“We want our people treated like every other homeowner,” said Atkinson.

“We [MHC operators] are expecting a sudden change in sanitary sewer rates being affected by federal environmental regulations, with rates expected to go from $2.56 to $2.92. It’s going to make a real difference in what rent increase is going to have to be.”

And that rent increase has MHC owners concerned. Atkinson is estimating he will have to raise rents $15 per month just due to the sanitary sewer rates. By comparison, he says that he usually tries to keep increases below 3 percent annually as he adjusts for rising costs in employee salaries and services.

“If you’ve got affordable housing, you should keep it affordable,” said Atkinson.

While the group has not heard back from city commissioners, Atkinson said that they are hopeful for a response soon, and that the proposed task force would include both residents and owners working with the city to find solutions to the challenges. ##

(Image credits are as shown above.)

Submitted by RC Williams to the Daily Business News for MHProNews.