MISSOULA — Missoula County has joined others in voicing concern over a proposed rent increase at two mobile home parks in Missoula – an increase that would displace a number of residents on fixed incomes if it came to fruition.
Residents of the Travois Village and Harvey's Mobile Home Park recently learned that Oak Wood Properties had planned a rent increase as high as 75%.
The company has since backed down from that “staggering increase,” but any increase in rent may challenge some residents, the county said.
The rent increase punctuates the vulnerability of residents who reside in a mobile home park.
“Even small increases threaten to displace residents as they add up from year to year,” the county wrote its letter to Oak Wood. “Rent increases impact seniors, working parents and people with disabilities who already face untenable choices between housing, food, medication and other basic needs.”
Nationally, mobile home parks face growing pressure for redevelopment, and that's no different in Missoula.
In January, the Katoonah Lodges Mobile Home Park went up for sale and came under the ownership of an out-of-state firm, creating uncertainty among residents.
Other parks in Missoula have already closed and been redeveloped over the last decade.
More than 22 million Americans live in mobile homes, according to Mobile Home University. Policy experts say residents could face up to a 70% rent increase.
It generally comes down to what the investor decides to do with the property.
“These communities are homes for more than 300 families who deserve dignity, stability and the ability to remain rooted in Missoula, regardless of income,” the county said of the two parks. “Mobile home communities like these now serve as one of the last buffers against becoming homeless or otherwise being displaced.”
Both the city and county of Missoula have taken steps in recent years to help mobile home residents collectively purchase their property.
A state grant in 2022 helped residents of the Old Hellgate Village Mobile Home Park purchase their property. The city in 2023 also pulled funding from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to help residents in a separate village purchase the land under their homes.
The county did the same last February when it approved two loans to help residents purchase the Two Rivers Mobile Park in Lolo. The effort preserved 59 individual lots.
“It allows these homeowners to take control of their home finances. They can vote on what they want to do with their expenses and rent, and take control over their futures,” said Garrick Harmel, the county's housing specialist.
But doing so isn't cheap. The Two Rivers property went on the market for $5.3 million, or roughly $90,000 per lot.
Despite the cost, the county reiterated the call for preservation in its letter to Oak Wood. Doing so remains “essential to a diverse and resilient housing system,” the county stated.
“This is an opportunity to be a responsible partner in building a more stable and inclusive future,” the county wrote, “Missoula County is committed to supporting housing options that reflect our residents' diverse needs and range of incomes, and we hope you'll join us in advancing that goal.”
