Mobile Home Park Purchase Program

Many mobile home park residents are interested in improving the conditions in their parks and/or working with their resident association to acquire the park as a Resident Ownership Park (ROP). Since 1989, the County has implemented a program to assist in resident or non-profit acquisition of mobile home parks. Through these efforts, the units can be protected as long-term affordable housing, residents can gain greater control over their parks, and the physical condition and quality of life in mobile home parks can be improved.

Two mobile home parks were purchased by a non-profit development corporation and substantially rebuilt with the assistance of the County’s Redevelopment Agency and the State Department of Housing and Community Development. Both projects required a significant investment of over $75,000 per unit overall, but the result is high quality housing that will be a permanent and affordable housing resource.

There are three different types of mobile home park projects where County assistance may be involved:

• Independent privately financed resident ownership projects with no local financial assistance.

• Independent, privately financed conversions where limited local financial assistance is needed.

• Non-Profit Purchase and Infrastructure Upgrade.

Some things to consider in looking at the feasibility and desirability of this kind of project are:

• County funds must be leveraged with other state, federal and/or private funds, including some matching funds from the residents;

• There are restrictions placed on the resale of mobile homes, to ensure long term affordability;

• There will be ongoing involvement of the non-profit developer in park management;

• This type of project is very complicated and takes a significant commitment of time. There is no guarantee of success, as it requires pulling together a number of pieces that are not controlled by any one entity (state grant funding plus private financing plus County funding, etc.).

For more information on this program contact:

Planning Department
Housing Division
Micaela Lopez 454-2336