Q. We are looking for a manufactured-home community because these houses are not as expensive as those in other developments. Where can we find them in Illinois?
A. Before answering your specific question, a little background information might be helpful.
It’s estimated there are about 2,000 communities or developments for manufactured homes in Illinois, according to the Mobile Home Owners Association of Illinois. The group also says there are more than 400,000 residents statewide living in these projects, also commonly known as mobile home or trailer parks, though people in the industry want to lose the T word because of its negative connotations.
Of the 400,000 mobile home park residents, about 60 percent are age 55 or older, said Terry Nelson, president of the group and owner of a manufactured home. She quickly added there’s nothing mobile about the homes in these parks. The houses really can’t be moved.
The parks are popular with seniors because the homes are affordable, Nelson said. A used manufactured home costs anywhere from $9,000 to $80,000. Homes are sold “as is,” but the price, as with any real estate, depends not only the home’s condition of the house, but also on its location. New homes cost from $58,000 to $130,000.
Buyers do not own the land the home sits on. Instead, the lot is rented from a landlord. Nelson said monthly rents statewide range from as much $1,200 to as little as $450. The landlord is typically responsible for expenses such as taxes and utilities, but ask about this in advance because community policies vary.
Nelson said there is no one source to go to lists of communities. Because the communities are licensed by one of three entities — the county, the city or the Illinois Department of Public Health — she suggests you start with those groups. Also, look online. Try www.mhvillage.com.
By the way, Nelson, who organizes homeowners groups across the state, wants everyone to know that last year a law was passed that mandates disclosure of a mobile home’s rent history to buyers. Also, Cook County has recently amended its fire ordinances and new manufactured homes must be a certain distance apart to prevent the spread of fires. “I was pleased to help get that ordinance updated,” Nelson said.
Q. Is there special housing available for grandparents raising grandchildren?
A. The number of grandparents raising their grandchildren is somewhat surprising. There are about 6 million such households nationwide, according to Generations United, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. It’s estimated the city of Chicago has about 41,000 grandfamily households.
Grandparents end up raising their grandchildren for a variety of reasons, such as illness, divorce, death, job loss, or even prison time, the experts say. But even though grandfamilies are a sizable group, not much housing exists just for them. In most cases, the kids move into the grandparent’s house and they all make do. Those with resources might add on to their homes, or move.
Small housing experiments are taking place across the country to help grandparents with low incomes, however. These programs provide housing for grandfamilies in a big building that includes services, such as social workers and day care. Experts say the need among this group is acute because a grandparent raising children may not be able to stay in a subsidized seniors-only building.
Linette Kinchen, executive director of the Grandfamilies Program of Chicago, says the West Englewood neighborhood has a grandfamily house. The city also has plans for a grandfamily house. Kinchen’s group helps grandfamilies find housing and right now Kinchen has four emergency cases of grandfamilies who need housing. “It’s not an easy task,” she said.
Q. I am a senior and I once had a Section 8 housing voucher, but I gave it up. Can I get it back?
A. Having had a voucher previously doesn’t entitle you to move to the head of the line. You’ll have to reapply. And, in Chicago, the waiting list for housing vouchers has been closed for several years, according to Bill Riley, executive director at CHAC Inc., the group that handles the program for the Chicago Housing Authority.
“We have 9,000 families on the waiting list for a voucher,” he said. The first priority is to get vouchers for those families and Riley doesn’t know when the waiting list might reopen. However, you can apply for a voucher through other local housing authorities. Put your name on as many waiting lists as possible, Riley suggested. If you get a voucher, you can use it anywhere.
Be sure to check the local rules that govern the vouchers. In Chicago, for instance, seniors get no preference on the waiting list. Other housing authorities may put seniors on the top of the list, Riley said. But housing authorities may also give preference to local residents, so if you don’t already live in the area where you are applying, your name might end up at the bottom of the list.
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Jane Adler is a Chicago-area freelance writer. If you have questions or information to share regarding housing for senior citizens, write to Senior Housing, c/o Chicago Tribune Real Estate Section, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. Or, e-mail realestate@tribune.com
