Title
Manufactured Home Communities Preservation Discussion
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Discuss previous work on preservation of manufactured home communities and receive direction on next steps.
Report
Issue:
Whether to discuss previous work on preservation of manufactured home communities and receive direction on next steps.
Staff Contact:
Christa Lenssen, Senior Housing Program Specialist, Community Planning & Economic Development, 360.570.3762
Presenter(s):
Christa Lenssen, Senior Housing Program Specialist, Community Planning & Economic Development, 360.570.3762
Background and Analysis:
Applicability of Olympia's Rental Housing Code
Olympia's current rental housing code does not cover residents who own their manufactured home but rent the lot within a manufactured home community. This approach aligns with state law, which distinguishes between two types of tenancies: the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, governing most rental housing-including situations where both the home and lot are rented-and the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act (MHLTA), which applies specifically to residents who own their manufactured home and rent only the lot space within a manufactured home community.
Manufactured housing landscape and displacement impacts
Manufactured homes make up roughly 2-3% of Olympia's housing stock, yet they play a critical role as a source of naturally affordable housing. Nationally, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau identifies manufactured housing as the largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing in the United States.
Within Olympia city limits, there are twelve known manufactured home communities, totaling an estimated 750 to 800 units. These communities vary in structure: three consist entirely of park-owned homes rented to residents (about 30 homes total), seven are primarily resident-owned homes (approximately 700 homes), and two include a ...
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