Manufactured homes are an important part of New Hampshire’s housing landscape, composing an estimated 5% of all housing units and households (American Community Survey, 2017–2021 5-year estimates). Manufactured homes, also commonly called mobile homes, are a type of housing that is prefabricated off-site and placed on a permanent chassis. These homes can be found on individual lots or in manufactured housing parks (also known as “manufactured housing communities”), where the homes are clustered together. They can remain with exposed chassis or can be made semi-permanent through placement on a temporary foundation and the addition of porches, screening, landscaping, and other design elements. Manufactured housing parks (“parks”) provide residents with land for their home, roads and parking, utility connections, and on-site amenities (e.g., indoor and outdoor recreation facilities, security systems, landscaping, laundry facilities, etc.). These parks are often owned by a landlord who rents access to residents, but they can also be owned collectively by residents, similar to a traditional homeowners’ association (HOA). The vast majority of manufactured home residents own the home itself, though they may not own the land it sits on. Manufactured homes and manufactured home parks tend to be more prevalent in rural areas than in more urban or suburban places.
Manufactured homes are often an affordable alternative to traditional site-built homes; they can be built quickly and efficiently, making them ideal for areas with high demand for housing. According to the American Community Survey (2017–2021 5-year estimates), the median monthly gross rent was $1,212 in New Hampshire, while the median value for all homes was $345,200. The median value for manufactured homes, however, was $74,700, making ownership possible for people of modest means. Affordability of manufactured housing in New Hampshire is significantly enhanced by state law that treats manufactured housing as real property, meaning that residential mortgage lending is available to purchase the units. Most states treat manufactured housing as personal property, requiring the use of more expensive consumer loans to facilitate purchase. Given their relative affordability, manufactured housing is one option communities can pursue to address their housing needs, though it is up to each community to decide how to address this housing type from legal and policy standpoints.
New Hampshire law requires that municipalities provide reasonable opportunities for manufactured housing and manufactured housing communities to exist. However, local land use regulations can impact the placement, architectural design, site design, and infrastructure for manufactured homes and manufactured housing parks. Historically, some communities have used zoning and other tools to exclude manufactured homes and manufactured housing parks. Others have used these tools to create more safe, attractive, and valuable manufactured home properties. With regard to zoning for manufactured housing park density, one approach is to treat it similar to cluster subdivision, where perceived density is greater than a conventional subdivision but open space is preserved. Increasingly, some municipalities have used zoning and land use regulations to protect existing manufactured housing communities, in an effort to preserve affordability and limit displacement.
The reality of manufactured housing today is quite different from Great Depression-era “trailer parks” or poorly built mobile homes of the past, but there remains a stigma around manufactured housing in public discourse. Today’s manufactured homes comply with rigorous construction standards and (typically) cannot be easily hauled. They are usually permanent (rather than “mobile”) homes, and residents are not typically transient. The legacy of poorly maintained mobile home parks with opportunistic owners also lingers in the public discussion, but such practices can be limited through local enforcement of standards, as well as resident ownership.
Manufactured housing communities are increasingly seen as good business for real estate investors. While this influx of investment can improve maintenance for some older communities, existing residents at some manufactured housing parks face unsustainable land rent increases and housing insecurity due to these changes in ownership. This can also lead to abandonment of the home or below-market sale of the home, often to the park owner. One alternative to outside investment is cooperative ownership by residents, who then manage the park collectively as a nonprofit. In this structure, also known as a Resident Owned Community (ROC), each resident owns a share in the park and has a say in decisions affecting the community. ROCs can lead to greater accountability and lower costs. Cooperative ownership provides residents with more stability and security, as the park is unlikely to be sold or closed. The New Hampshire Community Loan Fund was established in 1983 with a goal of providing loans for residents to form ROCs and purchase their manufactured housing communities. This first-of-its-kind program has since become a model for programs across the US. Today, there are 145 ROCs in New Hampshire, with nearly 9,000 affordable housing units. These communities can be a stable and affordable housing option for low- and moderate-income families, as well as older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities.
Manufactured housing parks can…