Should the public sector buy mobile home parks?

In an article for Johnstonian News, Mike Walden calls attention to the loss of a crucial affordable housing resource for many North Carolina communities: mobile home parks.

As Walden explains, trailer parks offer residents the opportunity to own a home without owning the land underneath it. However, this places households in jeopardy when trailer parks are purchased and the new owners increase the cost of the land lease or shut down the park altogether, forcing tenants to move — an expense that many mobile home owners cannot afford.

Walden suggests three options for keeping mobile homes affordable: assuming residents can afford the move, they can choose a new location with lower land prices or band together with neighbors to purchase their own land for a new park. However, this may put people farther away from jobs, schools, and economic opportunities. A second option is to switch to a traditional renting option, which "means giving up ownership of the trailer and the pride of ownership that comes with it."

Lastly, Walden suggests that the public sector could step in. Cities, counties or states could purchase existing parks or land to establish new parks. "Of course, taxpayer money would be needed to fund the land purchases, and the involved governments would be forgoing significant property tax receipts if the land was used for more expensive projects."