Manufactured Home Parks -An Overview-

Minnesota law (§ 327C) defines a manufactured home park as a site with 2+ occupied manufactured homes excluding seasonal parks.

There are more units of manufactured housing in the state of Minnesota than there are HUD subsidized and RD units combined.

Information Sources:  Department of Health – Licenses parks on state and county levels. Data gives fairly accurate count of parks and lots.  Census Data – Detailed demographic information, but does not differentiate between parks and privately sited homes.  Private Surveys – Data gathered by APAC, AARP and the Countrywide Insurance Company. All information compiled from 3 rd party sources. Accuracy not guaranteed.

There are over 900 manufactured home parks in the state of Minnesota. These parks contain almost 50,000 units of affordable housing. Manufactured Home Parks - Statewide Information from Department of Health

Manufactured home parks are a valuable source of affordable housing in both urban and rural areas. Information from Department of Health Manufactured Home Parks – Lots per County

Manufactured home parks comprise a significant percentage of the housing units statewide. Percentage of Households per County Living in Manufactured Housing Information from Department of Health and 2000 Census

Information from Department of Health PARKS# of LOTS 7-COUNTY METRO GREATER MINNESOTA TOTAL

Typically, manufactured home park residents own their own homes, but rent the lots upon which the homes are located. Information from 2000 Census

 Homes are rarely moved because of high cost of moving manufactured homes.  Approximate cost of moving a home is between $5000 and $10,000 (AARP)  Many parks won’t accept homes that are more than 10 years old. Information from 2000 Census

Manufactured home park residents are predominately low income. For many residents, manufactured home parks represent the most affordable home ownership option. However, this also means that many residents are not financially able to withstand the hardship of a park closing. Information from 2000 Census

Length of Occupancy Information from 2000 Census

In addition to the financial hardship of a park closure, there is a significant social cost as well, particularly for elderly residents and school children. Less Than 16 Years24% 70 Years And Over23% Percent of Households with Members who are... National Data, Information from 2002 Countrywide Insurance Survey

Manufactured Home Ownership by Race Information from 2000 Census

Distribution of People of Color Information from 2000 Census

Race of Residents Displaced by Park Closures Information from APAC

Under the prevailing ownership model, residents are also faced with financing issues, such as high interest rates and fees, which leave many residents with more debt than equity in their homes. This means that in the event of a park closure, some residents will be forced to continue to pay for a home that they can no longer live in. Manufactured Home Park Summit, March 8, 2005

Minnesota Law – Challenges and Opportunities Notice Provisions: Closure notices required for residents and the municipality, but not for any central agency. This makes it difficult to ensure compliance with the notice procedures and for advocates to obtain timely information in order to pursue preservation strategies. Timing: The state law only gives residents or non-profits 45 days to meet the sale price of a park closing for redevelopment. Also, the first refusal right only applies to parks sold within the past year. If the owner has owned the park for longer than that, they are not subject to the right of first refusal. Property Classification: Manufactured homes are considered personal property not real estate, contributing to financing issues like higher interest rates and large fees.