State Program Revamps Mobile Home Park, but Funding Shortfalls Loom

A state program aimed at revitalizing California's aging mobile home parks has brought tangible improvements to the Shady Lane Estates community in Thermal, but its limited funding and ongoing challenges highlight the broader struggle to preserve a crucial source of affordable housing.

Shady Lane Estates, a mobile home park in the unincorporated Coachella Valley, recently completed a comprehensive renovation funded partly through the state's Manufactured Housing Opportunity and Revitalization (MORE) program. The park, now owned by the nonprofit Caritas Corporation, had long suffered from flooding, failing septic systems, and an antiquated electrical grid that left residents without air conditioning during extreme heat.

Temperatures in the area regularly exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Resident Rubi Castro, a mother of four, recalled placing her young children in buckets of cold water when the power failed. Now, the park boasts a robust electrical system, paved roads, a shaded playground, and 40 new manufactured homes.

Castro said the new home feels like “living in winter” and she looks forward to the rain.

The transformation of Shady Lane is a rare success story for the MORE program, which was overhauled in 2023 after a decade of disuse. The program expanded its focus from helping residents purchase their parks to funding repairs, infrastructure upgrades, and unit replacements.

It awarded $136 million to 28 parks in 2023, with Shady Lane receiving $10.6 million.

However, the program's impact is limited. Another 19 projects have broken ground, but many face delays and scaled-back ambitions.

For example, Buena Vista Mobile Home Park in Palo Alto, which received the largest award of $24 million, has been forced to scale back its original plan to replace homes due to cost overruns and a tight deadline. Residents like Sabrina Ramirez, a childcare worker who has lived in the park since 1999, have faced months of uncertainty as move-out dates have been repeatedly postponed.

The demand for funding far exceeds supply. The program denied applications totaling $186 million in 2023, and additional state funding is not expected in the coming year.

The remaining fund, fed by park permit fees, holds only $27 million, which advocates describe as "peanuts" compared to the need.

Mobile home parks are a vital source of affordable housing in California, providing space for nearly half a million units. They are significantly cheaper than traditional homes, making them one of the few homeownership opportunities for low-income residents.

However, many parks are in poor condition, with outdated infrastructure and units built before 1976 that are prone to moisture, mold, and fire damage.

"While it's not as shiny or flashy as a big beautiful new rental apartment, it's a vital source of affordable housing," said Betsy McGovern-Garcia, vice president of Self-Help Enterprises, an affordable housing developer in the San Joaquin Valley that manages two parks. Her organization applied for a $3.7 million grant to help replace units at La Hacienda Mobile Home Park in Fresno but was denied.

For now, the future of California's aging mobile home parks remains uncertain. The MORE program has demonstrated that targeted investment can transform communities, but without sustained funding, many parks will continue to decline, leaving residents in unsafe and unhealthy conditions.