MHP411.com Gathers information and opinion about mobile home park lot rental from various sources to inform people interested in affordable housing.
MHP411.com, as it currently stands, is not a movement, nor a group, nor a party, nor a club. It is NOT so much direct advocacy in the political or movement sense, but is a resource, a tool, that advocacy groups and movements can use in their toolkit to help with their work of informing and mobilizing and bettering this form of affordable housing while solving housing problems. This is because mobile home owners need to organize and speak with one voice and a major factor in accomplishing that is human contact with advocates and leaders, which a web site cannot provide. A web site can help, though, as a resource tool that leaders use to move people and issues forwards. People make things happen, not necessarily websites, but websites may help.
MHP411.com can help manufactured home owners in parks move from symptoms to systems, the why and how, and start learning how this form of housing works – by looking under the hood of this housing system. Once you have a better understanding of systems you can target the most effective solutions. Moving perceptions from symptoms to systems to solutions (the three “S” approach) is one of the goals of this website. Explore the root causes of the problems and work on their origins, not just their symptoms.
The houses, by themselves, are a great solution to the need for more affordable housing and and help solve several of today’s problems. But there are potential risks and downsides to owning a structure on rented land – especially when it is expensive or impractical to move the house. Modern manufactured mobile homes are not built for moving around. Framed with wood, once they age they can become loose and damaged from road vibration. Practically all “mobile” homes are not really “mobile” due to high moving costs, lack of practical locations to move to, and park bans on receiving used homes over 5 years old.
We affiliate with various advocacy and activist organizations. We believe that affordable housing is the basis for personal prosperity, health, nation-wide economic growth and success. We believe that reducing overconsumption with smaller home spaces is a solution to many environmental problems. That secure, reliable and less consumptive affordable housing should be promoted and protected for the good of all.
We give manufactured housing park residents information they do not often get from the park owner, nor the mortgage lender, their city leaders, popular news and media coverage, nor the real estate agent. We provide missing information for stable affordable housing. We discuss risks and systemic problems to provide information to homeowners and potential buyers. When so informed, people are better prepared and able to make better decisions for community prosperity and health.
What Distinguishes MHP411.com From Other Websites?
- We talk risk
- We talk rewards
- We talk stability
- We talk long-term
- We talk predictability
- We advocate for the most good for the most people
We talk about BOTH the strengths and weaknesses of mobile home parks.
We point to places where change is needed, and where good things should be recognized and strengthened.
We champion the global and local benefits of this type of housing.
We educate MH owners about their situation.
We give the bare facts and situations -no spin, no bias, no sales pitch.
We provide tools for advocates and activists to direct newbies and victims to – so they can more fully grasp their situation and get on board.
These educational tools help organize thinking and action about improving conditions and help to accelerate informed change.
“This complex housing situation has few if any other parallels. “
– Carl Eric Leivo, Ph. D, author of “MHP Living: Successful Living in California Manufactured Home Parks.” *
Because renting land, while owning a home that is near-permanently attached, is one of the most complex forms of housing. Education of the homeowner or potential resident along with civic leaders is key to community success, economic success and availability of affordable housing.
* Carl Leivo has a Masters in City Planning from Rutgers University and a Doctorate from Southern Illinois University. Doctoral research evaluated regional economic development programs. Carl’s career includes a balance of experience in business, government, and non-profits.
Your Source for a Successful Mobile Home Park Living Experience
Our contributors have over 100 years of combined experience of actually living in mobile home parks and helping park residents. We promote long-term home affordability and stability. We have helped mobile home residents at all levels; local, county, state and federal. Including good parks, bad parks, lawsuits, legislation, ROC, senior overlays, park closure ordinances, rent stabilization and more.
Nonprofit – Independent – No Industry Ties
MHP411.com is not associated with the mobile home park for-profit industry – including landlords, mortgage lenders, sales agents, insurance companies and developers. We are associated with the customers – mobile home park homeowners and residents – the little guys. We associate with organizations that help mobile home owners with their park health and safety conditions and landlord problems. We have actual experience living in mobile home parks and have been watchdogging the mobile home park industry’s changes over the last 20 years and beyond. We have an extensive collective background in helping mobile home owners navigate this complex and too often risky form of “affordable” housing.
Beware of Superficial, Incomplete Information
Beware of information from the mobile home park for-profit industry – they may not be telling you everything. Too many mobile home park residents have had to get the full story the hard way because their landlord, their sales agent, their mortgage lender, house flippers and city leaders were silent or ignorant about the risks. Don’t become one of those startled homeowners.
Beware of information from inexperienced self-appointed pundits who have never spent years living in a mobile home park and never experienced a predatory corporate buyout of their park and loss of savings and housing security.
Know Before You Buy
There are good mobile home parks and then there are predatory park owners. Can you tell the difference? Will you be ready if your park’s ownership suddenly changes and rent goes sky high? When staffing, service and amenities get cut and slow deterioration begins?
We hope these things never happen to you. If you never encounter these problems, then you have successfully lived in relative housing bliss. Then we congratulate you! But if you have a major investment in your manufactured mobile home you need to know the bare facts of what is happening in the mobile home park business and start watching for signs of increasing risk.
In the right manufactured mobile home park, homeowners can prosper. MHP411 focuses on the critical questions about living in a house on rented land – the crucial economic issues of housing affordability and stability. Mobile home parks can change after you move in. Think before you buy. You may not be able to get out without a loss. Be a smart shopper and protect your home, your finances and your security.
Serving the Needs of the Community, Preserving Affordability
MHP411.com is a nonprofit site with advocate and activist contributors. Together, we have seen and experienced a lot in mobile home parks. We associate with residents’ rights attorneys, park purchase experts and advocacy organizations to name a few. We are working to preserve this last form of non-subsidized affordable housing. When people are safe and prosperous, the nation is safer and more prosperous.
A full, documented understanding of this form of affordable housing is badly needed today. MHP411.com serves to provide the big-picture, in-depth knowledge of mobile home park residents’ needs and vulnerabilities. We also give information on current and future solutions to the big mobile home park issues affecting the quality of life for park residents.
When manufactured mobile home parks are well-managed and respected, they can be great solutions to housing affordability, to global warming reduction, to city housing density needs and to pollution and quality of life issues. Let’s strive to make those possibilities a reality.
Quick Site Tour
For a quick look at the mobile home park universe, you can review the major pros and cons about what could go right and what could go wrong. Then look at the various costs and differences of mobile home park living.