Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity gets $29M to support manufactured housing

The Greater Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity was awarded more than $29 million in grant funding to preserve and revitalize manufactured housing and manufactured housing communities and help ease affordable housing pressures.

The local grant will go toward repairs and development in the Southwood Mobile Home Park.

The PRICE grant funding will be used to redevelop part of the existing mobile home community into a mixed-income, mixed-use development and preserve half of the existing MHC and invest in critical infrastructure and community needs, according to a project summary.

The grant funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement, or PRICE program.

In total, more than $225 million was awarded to 17 organizations nationwide. The Habitat for Humanity affiliate in Charlottesville was the only Virginia organization to receive funding.

Manufactured housing is a central component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s strategy to increase housing supply and lower housing costs.

“This is an historic investment – as the first federal grant program specifically for residents of manufactured homes,” said Adrianne Todman, HUD agency head. “Manufactured housing provides an affordable path to homeownership for many families. This funding builds upon HUD’s commitment to advancing housing innovation and reduce housing costs.”

Funding announced today in Charlottesville will support low- and-moderate income homeowners and residents in manufactured units and MHCs with critical investments such as repairs and rehabilitation of existing homes, accessibility upgrades, infrastructure improvements, mitigation strategies to increase resilience, resident services including eviction prevention and housing counseling and support with transitioning existing MHCs to resident-managed communities.

Funding will also enable the resident-driven redevelopment of existing manufactured housing communities including replacing aging and inadequate units with new affordable homes, expanding existing manufactured housing communities and acquisition of properties for the creation of resident-managed communities.

“In launching the PRICE competition, we listened to residents of manufactured housing communities. We heard how challenging it can be to own your home, but rent the land the home sits on, and the critical need for repairs and infrastructure upgrades without increases to lot rents and fees” said Marion McFadden, principal deputy assistant secretary for community planning and development. “The winning proposals invest in communities, empower residents, and prioritize long term affordability, ensuring PRICE funding will have a transformative impact for years to come.”