{"id":2753,"date":"2016-10-14T14:51:13","date_gmt":"2016-10-14T19:51:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.manufacturedhomepronews.com\/industryvoices\/?p=2753"},"modified":"2016-10-14T14:59:48","modified_gmt":"2016-10-14T19:59:48","slug":"california-housing-crisis-manufactured-homes-could-be-part-of-the-solution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.manufacturedhomepronews.com\/industryvoices\/california-housing-crisis-manufactured-homes-could-be-part-of-the-solution\/","title":{"rendered":"California Housing Crisis: Manufactured Homes Could Be Part of the Solution"},"content":{"rendered":"

Costly government regulations have stifled the development of attainable housing<\/strong><\/p>\n

October 14, 2016 (Sacramento, CA)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 In an effort to educate public policymakers on how mobilehome parks operate and how the misapplication of rent control has contributed to California\u2019s housing crisis, the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association (WMA) has launched a statewide public education campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no question that California is one of the most expensive places to live in the country<\/span><\/strong>,\u201d said Sheila Dey, Executive Director of WMA. \u201cSo when the purchase price of a mobilehome can be up to 30% less than a traditional home, state and local government should be creating incentives to build more mobilehome parks and not less<\/span><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Fish-eye lens camera view of California manufactured home by Kit, – this photo was not part of WMA’s original column. Photo credit, ManufacturedHomes.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rent control is a reaction to local government\u2019s failure to plan for their community\u2019s future housing needs. When attainable housing is no longer accessible, politicians force parkowners to subsidize a tenant\u2019s housing costs regardless of income, which often leads to a reduction in park amenities and in some cases,\u00a0lawsuits<\/a>\u00a0when rents do not cover a park\u2019s operational costs.<\/p>\n

California has created a regulatory environment where existing parks are threatened by rent control ordinances that undermine a park\u2019s economic sustainability, and cost prohibitive building regulations and fees that have stifled the construction of new parks. As a consequence, it\u2019s been decades since a new mobilehome park has been built in California.<\/p>\n

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Graphic credit – MHProNews.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cBuilding more manufactured home communities could ease California\u2019s housing crisis<\/span><\/strong>,\u201d said Dey. \u201cBut first, politicians are going to have to address rent control\u2019s failure and reduce building fees, and at the very least,\u00a0require means-testing so that rent control truly benefits the needy<\/strong><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an effort to educate policymakers, WMA has released a\u00a0video<\/a>\u00a0which explains how parks operate and how they have become a source of quality housing for scores of people from all socio-economic backgrounds. To demonstrate its misapplication, the video showcases a\u00a0rent control park in Malibu, California<\/a>, where millionaires live in beachfront properties, and for some, the properties serve as a second home.<\/p>\n

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