Guidelines for Improving the Mobile Home Living Environment: Individual Sites, Mobile Home Parks and Subdivisions

摘要

This study examines the problems and needs of the mobile home community and provides guidelines for improving the mobile home living environment throughout the U.S. Currently, 3.4 million year - round mobile homes exist nationwide, representing 96 percent of all new housing available for under $20,000. Due to the significance of mobile homes in the country's total housing picture, the following major constraints against the acceptance of mobile homes must be addressed: many communities continue to view mobile homes as a blight on the local environment and often enact legislation to prohibit or isolate them; mobile home builders remain unwilling to incorporate features to improve the environment of mobile homes because of unknown or increased development and maintenance costs; and planners, designers, engineers, and government personnel and agencies have not promoted or utilized standards which can improve the mobile home environment. Some recommendations to improve this situation include locating mobile home sites, parks, or subdivisions in areas of compatible land use and surrounding environments, in areas with adequate utility and road support systems, in areas with reasonable convenience to community facilities, and in areas of similar density. For individual mobile home lots and mobile home group settings, techniques are described for creating privacy, protecting the view from the home and lot, controlling the climate, and improving the attractiveness of the environment. The design recommendations to improve mobile home living environments are made with cost considerations in mind. Appropriate unit costs and costs per mobile home lot are included, where applicable. In addition, an evaluation method containing three major categories (location, individual mobile home lot, and group mobile home setting) for mobile home living is presented as a guide for Federal, State, or local jurisdictions in evaluating mobile home environment or for designers, developers, and prospective mobile home residents in determining features which are important for improving mobile home living. A model ordinance is also provided for State and local governments in preparing their own ordinances, and directions for specific actions are included. Selected references, illustrations, graphs, and charts are presented.