This purpose of this guide is to help you access public sources of financing for the purchase, rehabilitation or refinancing of manufactured homes. It is intended as a resource for consumers, nonprofit practitioners and advocates interested in leveraging public funding streams in support of affordable housing and asset building strategies using manufactured housing. In addition to discussing programs that fund the purchase and rehabilitation of manufactured homes, this guide suggests federal, state and local resources available when residents want to purchase their manufactured home communities. This guide:
- Lists public resources available to fund the purchase and rehabilitation of manufactured homes;
- Lists public resources available to help homeowners purchase their manufactured home communities;
- Describes program parameters to help advocates understand the best way to access various public programs; and
- Recommends programmatic tweaks that could improve the functioning of public programs for which manufactured housing is an eligible use.
The first section discusses federal programs, and is followed by a section on state and local resources. The section that follows focuses on resources that may be available to manufactured home communities. The appendices give examples of specific state programs that advocates may use if they are seeking to expand resources for their manufactured housing work.
While this guide provides a general overview of existing programs, new programs, some that do not specifically list manufactured homes as a permissible use, spring up on a regular basis. These programs are typically developed to address a particular need or respond to an event, such as an economic crisis or natural disaster. Advocates are advised to keep abreast of program developments, especially on the local level.
In addition, many existing programs provide housing assistance funds even when the program’s main focus is not housing-related. Though too numerous to highlight in this guide, advocates working with special populations, such as the elderly or disabled, should consider whether programs aimed at the general welfare of these populations may have funds available to purchase or repair manufactured homes.