Manufactured Housing – you better believe mine would have flamingos in the driveway

I lived on Bainbridge Island a couple summers ago and part of my daily routine was to walk from work to the coffee shop. This walk wasn’t important for the caffeine it materialized. It was important because it was the only time of day where I got to walk among average, salt-of-the-earth people.

See, separating my office building from the coffee shop and the booming two-block downtown district of affluent Bainbridge Island was an eclectic group of manufactured homes. A trailer park! It was about the only place on the island where people seemed to live in a true community atmosphere sharing stories, space, gardening tips, laughs, tips and tricks.

The park is one of the last affordable places to live on the island, but good luck getting a slot. There’s a waiting list and the last time I strolled through the neighborhood, residents weren’t in a hurry to leave. The point it, these types of other-than-normal communities offer people without Microsoft bank accounts the option to live in world-class places.

Below is a housing resource for low income communities.

[REPOST from Idealist.org]

Manufactured Housing Community Preservationists

Are you qualified for low income housing? Do you own a Manufactured Home and are looking for a new community? Manufactured Housing Community Preservationists is a local non profit that purchases Manufactured Housing Communities with local and public funds. MHCP then runs these communities as low income housing communities. As a requirement of our funding sources, and as a non profit, we charge rents based on income and operational expenses for the community.

MHCP owns four communities to date; contract manages a fifth community owned by a local non profit housing authority, and is in pursuit of purchasing a fifth community by the end of September.

MHCP owns and operates communities in Redmond, Kent, Skyway, and Renton, Washington. Each community member owns their own housing but MHCP owns the property, similar to the traditional MHP model. The difference is that MHCP’ mission is to never sell the communities and even if you do not qualify for low income housing we never charge more than market rate for a space!

Depending on the community you may qualify for a rent break based on three categories: If you earn 30% or less of the areas median income; If you earn 50% or less of the areas median income; and if you earn 80% or less of the areas median income.

Benefits of living in an MHCP community:

• No threat of the community ever selling
• Space rental is based on your income: >30%, >50%, >80%, & Market Rate
• Communities are owned by a non profit organization with a human service mission to help low income families & individuals.
• You own the equity in your home
• Community shared clubhouse space for use
• Children’s play areas and recreational spaces for play and exercise
• Convenient Access to bus routes, shopping, employment, and recreation
• Management and Property Maintenance Staff that work in the community/on-site

If interested please feel free to stop by and tour the community or feel free to contact the site manager at the address and phone number(s) listed below. Homes for sale at each community can be found by touring the site or looking at the MHCP website at www.mhcp-wa.org

Paradise LN
Household must earn less than 50% median income at time of application
412 N Washington
Kent, WA 98032
Site Manager: Hector Orozco
(253)859-6556
Map

Vue
Household must earn less than 80% median income at time of application
12929 MLK Wy S
Seattle, WA 98178
Cheri McGuane
(206)772-5361
Map

Empire View
Household must earn less than 80% median income at time of application
5711 S 129th St
Seattle, WA 98178
Cheri McGuane
(206)772-5361
Map

Avon Villa
Household must earn less than 80% median income at time of application
11414 Avondale Wy NE
Redmond, WA 98052
Margarita Castaneda
(425)885-1112
Map