In 1994, North Country Affordable Housing, Inc. conducted a survey of mobile home conditions in Jefferson County in northern New York State. With 1990 census data indicating that mobile homes comprised fifteen percent of the housing stock, and the monthly cost of owner occupied mobile homes was 123% of the monthly cost of other owner occupied housing units, we thought there would be some interesting issues for this not-for-profit housing agency to consider. Trends were also an important aspect of the investigation, as the number of mobile homes in the County had increased threefold since 1970, while over the same twenty year period total housing units had increased merely 72%. (“Merely” is a relative term within the context of the massive demographic changes engendered by the expansion of Fort Drum from a seasonal training camp to a permanent home of the U.S. Army’s Tenth Mountain Division (some 10,000 troops) announced in 1985. County population increased 26% between 1980 and 1990).

The data we uncovered was staggering. Forty-four percent of the owner-occupants of the mobile homes less than six years old reported that the unit needed rehabilitation work, and for units less than eleven years old, the percentage needing work jumped to 83%. Low-income owner households occupy nearly 1500 mobile homes in the County. Seventy eight percent of the owner occupants reported that they would like to upgrade their housing to a modular or stick-built house. It was clear that there was a significant low-income population in need of housing assistance.


Other factors also contributed to our interest in mobile home living. The local American Red Cross chapter disaster team indicated that a mobile home is sixty percent more likely to fall victim to fire or other natural disaster that all other types of housing combined. And, if fire or other natural disaster strikes a mobile home, it is over four times more likely to result in a total loss than a similar disaster to any other type of housing unit. According to the Federal Office of Fire Prevention and Arson Control, fire deaths in mobile homes occur at twice the rate of fire in houses.  The very young (ages 1-4) account for more than 25% of all mobile home fire deaths.

Just as important as the physical shortcomings of the mobile home is the economic impact of owning one. Conventional real estate values tend to increase over time, or at least remain static. However, this is not true of the mobile home, which has an economic life of 25 years or less, and exhibits dramatic depreciation in the first five years. Rehabilitation costs for an older mobile home typically exceed the value of the unit.

North Country Affordable Housing, Inc. has designed a program to eliminate older mobile homes, by giving low-income owner-occupants a grant up to $20,000 towards the erection of a new modular or stick-built home on the site. The homeowners are responsible for the additional costs through mortgage financing, and in some cases significant sweat equity. Development costs average $67,000 per unit. Grant funds have been provided by the State of New York Affordable Housing Corporation and the federal government through the locally administered North Country HOME Consortium. The grant funds are secured by a note and mortgage, the terms of which expire upon ten years of continued occupancy by the homeowner.
 

In 1999 North Country Affordable Housing contracted Jefferson Community College's Center for Community Studies to conduct a survey of households that had completed the Mobile Home Replacement Program. The survey proved the tremendous success of the program. Click here to read and print the full survey results. (requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader software)

 

Support for this and other programs is provided by:   North Country HOME Consortium NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal Northern New York Community Foundation Development Authority of the North Country (DANC) Community Bank HSBC Bank USA USDA Rural Development