Mobile housing represents 63% of the City of Apache Junction’s housing stock. At a time when available housing assistance and subsidies do not meet demand, these units represent a valuable source of unsubsidized housing stock for Apache Junction (the City) and the United States as a whole. While their affordability is an asset, the City also has significant concerns about a number of mobile home and Recreational Vehicle (RV)park properties. There are approximately 125 parks in Apache Junction, some of which predate the current City Zoning Code. In these cases, the properties do not comply with current requirements, but are able to continue operating because the property owners hold “rights of lawfulnonconformance,” or in other words, they are “grandfathered” in. However, these park owners are limited in what they can do with their land; they are prohibited from making significant development changes, including expansion or, in the case of property destruction, rebuilding. Beyond park nonconformance, a number of individual housing units were built and established before the U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment’s (HUD) National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974, raising concerns about housing unit quality, health, and safety.
Given these circumstances, the City is at a crossroads. Though many parks have poor property conditions and/or fail to conform to the contemporary Apache Junction Zoning Code, the City also recognizes that they provide valuable affordable housing opportunities and, thus, removal is not an option. As the City considers how to confront this issue, three goals drive its efforts:
- Preserve affordable housing to meet the demonstrated need of Apache Junction’s population
- Improve the conditions of high-priority parks and increase the quality of life for residents
- Promote the redevelopment of parks into alternative affordable housing units when appropriate
The project’s aim is to develop findings and produce recommendations that satisfy Apache Junction’s goal to bring parks into conformance while preserving housing affordability for its residents. To reach this goal, the researcher engaged in a number of research methods including a literature review and need assessment, as well as expert and stakeholder interviews.