Las Vegas Homes and Real Estate News

Mar. 23, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Board delays decision on mobile home park conversions

By K.C. HOWARD
REVIEW-JOURNAL

A decision on a proposed mobile home park conversion was delayed on Wednesday by Clark County commissioners.

Commissioner Myrna Williams, who brought the proposal to the board, directed staff to create a small committee of park owners and tenants. The group should work to discuss possible solutions to bring before the commission on April 19, when the board will make a decision about the moratorium.

The moratorium would prohibit the county from accepting applications for changing the land use of mobile home parks for 18 months.

Park tenants have shown overwhelming support for the moratorium, which they argue will give time for policy-makers to find alternative affordable housing or entice park owners not to convert and to keep rents low. Park owners have opposed the moratorium, calling it a violation of their property rights.

County attorneys also asked for more time.

Since 2000, 16 mobile home parks have closed in Clark County, the State Division of Manufactured Housing reports. This year, three parks have given notice they plan to close.

The closures of some of the most affordable housing in the county has caused park tenants across the valley to fear their park also will be closed to make way for more lucrative housing.

As commissioners continue to discuss the moratorium, they've stopped accepting applications for park conversions.

"We're kind of concerned because it's already been two months, so we've had in effect a two-month moratorium," said Marolyn Mann, head of the Nevada Manufactured Home Community Owners Association. She represents about 55 percent of mobile home parks in Clark County.

Providing affordable housing should not be the sole responsibility of the private sector, she said.

Mann and mobile home park owners have been working on good terms with the Nevada Association of Manufactured Home Owners, which represents tenants, said Bob Varallo, the nonprofit's immediate past president.

Both groups agree the county will need to help to keep tenants from becoming homeless. One solution both agree on would have the county work with the Bureau of Land Management to obtain land for more affordable housing to house former park tenants.

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