What a difference a storm can make.
According to the Palm Beach Post, a tornado that ripped through the Juno Beach Condo Mobile Home Park last week put the issues surrounding manufactured home communities in Palm Beach county front and center again, as a combination of developers buying up communities and high housing prices threaten access to affordable housing in the area.
Many manufactured home communities in the county sit on large lots of land, usually with access to main roads, boat docks, and, most important to developers, commercial or multi-family zoning.
When other housing or commercial buildings replace a manufactured home community, urban planners often refer to it as “infill development,” which according to the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) is defined as “the process of developing vacant or under-used parcels within existing urban areas that are already largely developed.”
And, although residents of manufactured home communities see things differently, what may be more troubling in Palm Beach county is what appears to be a “backdoor” version of NIMBY (Not-In-My-Back-Yard.)
Per the Palm Beach Post, politicians, and the residents who reelect them, seem to know that developments bring more tax revenue than manufactured home communities.
Infill development in the county has already taken place in Jupiter at the site of the former Whitehaven Senior Mobile Home Park, which is now home to Culver’s Custard and the Barcelona apartments.
Residents at Bell’s Mobile Home Park and Suni Sands Mobile Home Park met a similar fate when developers acquired the properties and announced new development plans. The last of the residents at Suni Sands left the community in mid December.
“I grew up here. My kids worked here. This place is a part of me. The residents aren’t the only ones feeling the loss. I’m glad it’s over. It’s time to move on,” said community manager Steve Burns.
“I never imagined I would live in such a magical place like Suni Sands. My husband and I are going to get a pizza tonight and sit on the deck with another couple. One last night in paradise,” said Joyce Miller, a 15-year resident.
Even moving assistance from the government usually isn’t enough to help residents.
While offering up to $6,000 in moving expenses for manufactured homeowners who are displaced, that amount doesn’t go very far in a county where everything tends to be expensive.
Many simply walk away from their homes all together, with it being too expensive to move them.
Views from the MH Industry
Jim Ayotte, executive director of the Florida Manufactured Housing Association (FMHA), told MHProNews – “A community owner shouldn’t be compelled to close a community without regard for homeowners.”
Ayotte explained some of the various stress points that are often at play, including local governments that have limited ability in their budgets to provide affordable housing. Yet, local governments often try to impose measures that force property owners to act contrary to their property rights.
“This is unfair to the private sector and quite frankly, should be unconstitutional,” said Ayotte.
“Property owners have the right to develop their land. And the government has the responsibility to make affordable housing available to citizens, especially for the elderly and low-income. There has to be some type of balance.”
“As MH association directors, we support a property owner’s rights to buy, sell and make a profit at any time,” Jay Hamilton, of the George Manufactured Housing Association told MHProNews.
“What we do hope for is that the MH Community owner does it ethically, which is usually the case.”
“The community owner should help minimize the impact by working with local government and social service agencies to identify alternative housing options,” said Ayotte, adding that he has seen a number of examples of community closures where owners, residents and local officials worked successfully together.
Ayotte’s full comments about the matter are linked here. ##
(Image credits are as shown.)
Submitted by RC Williams to the Daily Business News for MHProNews.
