City of Boulder Releases its Manufactured Home Strategy Action Plan Final Report

The implementation period for the Manufactured Housing Strategy Action Plan, set into motion by City Council in 2019, has ended and the City of Boulder has released the Manufactured Housing Strategy Action Plan Final Report.

Despite significant resource impacts due to COVID-19, nearly all action items were meaningfully addressed through local policy changes, state legislation supported by the city, programs and initiatives.

“The city's dedication to preserving manufactured housing is long standing," said Crystal Launder, Manufactured Housing Strategy Project Manager. "But various factors have historically put this housing option at risk. The efforts of numerous city departments, community members and local, state and national partners have helped to further preserve manufactured housing in our community."

Key highlights of the action plan include:

• Creation of a guide to navigating landlord-tenant regulations in manufactured home communities in Boulder. This guide is available in English and Spanish.
• City code updates to protect buying and selling manufactured homes and regulate landlord-tenant matters in manufactured home communities.
• Installation of the Ponderosa Community Solar Garden. In 2021, the city completed construction of a community solar garden dedicated to income-qualified residents of the Ponderosa Mobile Home Park. The garden allows more people to access renewable energy without installing equipment at home and provides reduced energy costs.
• Raised community awareness of the city’s Housing Rehabilitation Program. In 2020 and 2021, the city sponsored EcoArts Connections to train manufactured home owners on do-it-yourself home repairs and promoted programs that assist with safety and energy efficiency improvements, address accessibility needs, pay energy bills, provide efficient lighting and support emergency repairs.
• Compilation of resources on the Manufactured Home Community Resources webpage.

From 2019 to 2021, the City of Boulder supported various pieces of successful state legislation, all co-sponsored by state Rep. Edie Hooton of Boulder County. These bills advanced a number of the plan’s action items.

In 2022, city staff will develop a resource to help manufactured home communities prepare for unexpected water and sewer system disruptions. Potential future action items include partnering with park owners on utility systems replacements, assessing feasibility of new manufactured home communities and exploring updates to the city’s Mobile Home zoning district.

For more information on the city’s Manufactured Housing Strategy and to read the full report, visit the city’s website.