mobile home organizing campaign

[colist at comm-org.utoledo.edu]

[ed:  thanks to Larry for engaging the discussion.]

From: Larry Yates <lamaryates at igc.org>

Overall, people living in manufactured housing/mobile homes are among 
the most powerless in the country -- as generally they are lower income 
people who are also living in housing that is the subject of 
stigmatization and jokes from pretty much the rest of the population. 
Perhaps most serious, unlike most tenants, they cannot simply put their 
possessions in a truck and move on -- they cannot move at all without 
either losing the home they own or finding a place to move it to -- 
something that gets harder to do every day. In a way, they have the 
worst of being both homeowners and tenants -- tied to a piece of 
housing, but with no real estate equity; at the mercy of a landlord, but 
without the usual tenant's options in a larger housing market.

Mobile home owners/lot tenants have become a political force in a few 
places. I know in Vermont they were part of tenant organizing efforts 
there in the 80s. In California, they actually became a statewide 
political force, and got legislative changes to their benefit, again in 
the 80s or earlier. I have not kept track of these efforts. It would be 
worth checking for such groups in Florida, where this housing is fairly 
common.

One solution to this kind of situation that should be doable is for a 
nonprofit to acquire and manage the mobile home park. Such a nonprofit 
could negotiate a situation where tenants can stay as long as they live 
and want to stay, but no new mobile homes come in. It may be necessary 
for the tenants to separate themselves from the owner -- I don't want to 
stereotype or assume anything, but a lot of mobile home park owners have 
been guilty of various unsavory maneuvers, and often the locality gets 
away with displacing the tenants by focusing on the sins of the owners. 
(Right now in Roanoke Virginia, there is a mobile home park owner who 
has been found grossly violating environmental/sewage regulations; there 
is a real risk that as a result some mobile home residents, caught in 
the middle, will lose their lots, and perhaps their homes.)

I think it is critical in this situation that local faith groups, 
housing and homelessness organizations, civil rights groups, and groups 
concerned about seniors, women and children, be put on the spot and 
directly asked to support the tenants, who, I would be certain based on 
my experience, have few other viable alternatives for housing. Local 
decisionmakers must be made to see this as a housing crisis, not a 
zoning issue. If necessary, the stigma of living in a "trailer" should 
be confronted directly -- something like a kid holding a sign -- I may 
live in a trailed but I'm not trash -- don't throw me away.

People who can't do anything else should send e-mails, as requested, but 
in my experience issues like this are resolved locally, One "outside" 
support might be "alumni" of the mobile home park -- anyone who has 
moved on to relative success or fame and will speak up in defense of the 
community (it was important for me when I needed it kind of thing..) 
would be great.

The manufactured housing industry has a lot of information about mobile 
homes, and in some limited ways, without offending the park owners, will 
sometimes help tenants establish that mobile homes are a viable housing 
alternative. They did some of that in Virginia in the 1980s -- I have no 
idea what the state association in Florida now will be like, but it's 
worth checking.

hope that helps

Larry Yates

>
>
> From: Robert Perkis <robertp at icdus.com>
>
> Florida Trailer Park Needs Your Help:
>
> We are a 30 year old trailer park called Coral Lake in
> Coconut Creek Florida facing rezoning from MH1 mobile
> manufactured homes to PUD for townhouses.  The city has
> made up fines to extort the owner of the park to sell
> to a redeveloper. We need people to email the commissioners
> and ask either the park be saved or the people receive
> a fair settlement instead of the state minimum of $1,375.
> to abandon a single wide or $2,750. to abandon a double.
> ($3,000. to move a single or $6,000 to move a double, most
> are too old to move anyway.) There are people with $30,000.
> mortgages and others who finally paid for their home and
> poor people with old trailers they fixed up nice. We have
> a web site with pictures and a link to the Commissioner's
> names and email. Please take a moment to learn about our
> fight and send an email in support it will be appreciated.
>
> Thank you. http://www.corallakemhp.com
> _______________________________________________
>