San Diego, Calif. (Aug. 14, 2023) – The San Diego Seniors Community Foundation (SDSCF) announces the release of a San Diego Mobile Home Park Report, which delves into . The report provides an overview of the mobile home park landscape, identifies emerging threats to residents, and provides policy solutions to preserve this critical form of affordable housing for older adults and other vulnerable populations.
Mobile home parks are a sector of the housing network in San Diego that does not get much attention despite its role as a critical form of affordable housing. According to California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), San Diego County has almost 400 mobile home parks with over 39,000 units.
“Given the limited inventory of traditional affordable housing options for older adults, it is imperative that we preserve what already exists,” said Joe Gavin, Chief Program Officer for SDSCF and a contributing author of the report. “The threat to the housing security of older adults who reside in these parks is very real. Even with an erosion of just of 5 to ten percent of these parks over the next several years, it would result in thousands of San Diego older adults with no other housing options.”
With almost 400 mobile home parks in San Diego County, manufactured homes are a primary source of affordable housing for those priced out of other forms of housing, including seniors, veterans, widows, the disabled, and families with low incomes. Despite their importance, these parks, and the number of affordable spaces within them are vanishing.
“Mobile home parks are a necessary part of the affordable housing market, a market that will be vital to the well-being of many baby boomers who are approaching their senior years,” said Bob Kelly, founder of the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation. “We need to slow the redevelopment of mobile home parks, reign back the rate at which rent prices are increasing in parks and increase the building of new affordable housing. Such a plan is in line with California’s Statewide Housing Plan, which lists ‘keep Californians in their homes’ as their first objective.
“Specifically, this plan states that ‘it is imperative that we keep people in their communities and homes and preserve existing affordable homes. Some of our most affordable housing units are the ones that we already have,” adds Kelly.
The Mobile Home Park report was co-authored by the Foundation, the Mobile Home Advisory Committee, and the Global Health Research and Design team at the University of California San Diego. The report’s authors are currently seeking support from local public officials. To learn more, contact Joe Gavin at Joe@SDSCF.org.
SDSCF is currently seeking the San Diego community’s support to help raise additional contributions. Donations can be made, and more information can be found, at www.sdscf.org.
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE http://sdscf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/FINAL-Mobile-Home-Park-Report-compressed.pdf
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About San Diego Seniors Community Foundation
SDSCF is a first-of-its-kind, nonprofit 501(c)(3) established in 2017, with the singular focus of improving the vitality and quality of life for all seniors in San Diego County. SDSCF is founded on the vision of Bob Kelly, former president, and CEO of The San Diego Foundation, and is working toward a world where seniors are physically active, socially connected and receive the support they need to live healthy, dynamic lives.
SDSCF’s mission is to find solutions to the various challenges affecting area seniors through philanthropy, advocacy and by working with elected officials, regional leaders, and senior experts. In particular, the nonprofit has formed and leads the San Diego Senior Center Coalition, collaborating with the existing network of caring senior service providers to strengthen the region’s aging-support network. A major focus area of SDSCF is the expansion and modernization of local senior centers.
About Mobile Home Advisory Committee
Mobile Home Advisory Committee, Inc. (“MAC”) is a California 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to educating mobile homeowners about their rights and laws, advocate on their behalf, and provide assistance and referrals to resources and legal help as needed. Although manufactured homes are California’s largest source of affordable housing for seniors, veterans, the disabled and low-income families, mobile home parks are disappearing as equity investors target these large parcels of land for development. MAC is comprised of representatives from many mobile home communities, and several are former City Commissioners. We network with city / county / state resources, staff, and officials, as well as local attorneys specializing in mobile home and real property law. By volunteering our time, we help mobile homeowners get the help and information they need as quickly as possible.
About Global Health Research and Design Team at UCSD 2021-22
The Global Health Research and Design team is a project-based student organization at the University of California, San Diego. We partner with nonprofits to improve health issues at both the local and global levels, doing so with respect to the complex social determinants to health outcomes.
