Verified Market Research have recently published a new report on the global Manufactured Housing market. The study provides profound insights into updated market events and market trends. This, in turn, helps one in better comprehending the market factors, and strongly they influence the market. Also, the sections related to regions, players, dynamics, and strategies are segmented and sub-segmented to simplify the actual conditions of the industry.

The study is updated with the impacts of the coronavirus and the future analysis of the industrys trends. This is done to ensure that the resultant predictions are most accurate and genuinely calculated. The pandemic has affected all industries, and this report evaluates its impact on the global market.

Global Manufactured Housing Market is growing at a faster pace with substantial growth rates over the last few years and is estimated that the market will grow significantly in the forecasted period i.e. 2019 to 2026.

The report also emphasizes the initiatives undertaken by the companies operating in the market including product innovation, product launches, and technological development to help their organization offer more effective products in the market. It also studies notable business events, including corporate deals, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, partnerships, product launches, and brand promotions.

Leading Manufactured Housing manufacturers/companies operating at both regional and global levels:

The report also inspects the financial standing of the leading companies, which includes gross profit, revenue generation, sales volume, sales revenue, manufacturing cost, individual growth rate, and other financial ratios.

Dominant participants of the market analyzed based on:

The competitors are segmented into the size of their individual enterprise, buyers, products, raw material usage, consumer base, etc. Additionally, the raw material chain and the supply chain are described to make the user aware of the prevailing costs in the market. Lastly, their strategies and approaches are elucidated for better comprehension. In short, the market research report classifies the competitive spectrum of this global Manufactured Housing industry in elaborate detail.

Key highlights of the report:

Market revenue splits by most promising business segments by type, by application, and any other business segment if applicable within the scope of the global Manufactured Housing market report. The country break-up will help you determine trends and opportunities. The prominent players are examined, and their strategies analyzed.

Manufactured Housing Market, By Type

Mobile Homes Modular Homes Pre-cut Homes

Manufactured Housing Market, By End User

Residential Commercial

This Manufactured Housing report umbrellas vital elements such as market trends, share, size, and aspects that facilitate the growth of the companies operating in the market to help readers implement profitable strategies to boost the growth of their business. This report also analyses the expansion, market size, key segments, market share, application, key drivers, and restraints.

Insights into the Manufactured Housing market scenario:

Moreover, the report studies the competitive landscape that this industry offers to new entrants. Therefore, it gives a supreme edge to the user over the other competitors in the form of reliable speculations of the market. The key developments in the industry are shown with respect to the current scenario and the approaching advancements. The market report consists of prime information, which could be an efficient read such as investment return analysis, trends analysis, investment feasibility analysis and recommendations for growth.

The data in this report presented is thorough, reliable, and the result of extensive research, both primary and secondary. Moreover, the global Manufactured Housing market report presents the production, and import and export forecast by type, application, and region from 2020 to 2027.

Customization of the Report:

Verified Market Research also provides customization options to tailor the reports as per client requirements. This report can be personalized to cater to your research needs. Feel free to get in touch with our sales team, who will ensure that you get a report as per your needs.

Thank you for reading this article. You can also get chapter-wise sections or region-wise report coverage for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.

To summarize, the global Manufactured Housing market report studies the contemporary market to forecast the growth prospects, challenges, opportunities, risks, threats, and the trends observed in the market that can either propel or curtail the growth rate of the industry. The market factors impacting the global sector also include provincial trade policies, international trade disputes, entry barriers, and other regulatory restrictions.

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Manufactured Housing Market Expansion Projected to Gain an Uptick During 2020-2027 - The Haitian-Caribbean News Network

Fewer people are choosing to live in senior housing amid the pandemic. Occupancy has gone down more than 2.5% for two quarters in a row.

A trade group for housing providers looked at numbers from April through September of this year and found the senior housing sector is experiencing the largest drop in occupancy on record.

We have heard from people who, you know, their first priority is to get older parents out of more hazardous locations, such as nursing homes, and when they are looking for options in terms of where to move them, part of the option of course is to bring them into their home, said Danielle Arigoni, Director of AARP Livable Communities.

Arigoni says the financial benefits of living in a multi-generational home are getting some people to think about it during the pandemic. But others are avoiding it because of concerns about COVID-19 exposure risks for older family members.

Arigoni says there is a renewed interest in accessory dwelling units. That's something UMH Properties is working on now with its "care cottages." The service will let people lease a prefabricated 1 bedroom 1 bath temporary home that you put on your property.

We believe we can get it approved because it's going to be temporary. It's going to be ADA compliant. And with those things in mind, the zoning department of a town should approve bringing the manufactured home onto somebody's lot where it's zoned as a single-family residential lot, said Sam Landy, CEO of UMH Properties.

Landy says COVID-19 sparked the idea for the care cottages, but he expects there to be interest in them beyond the pandemic.

The company has received dozens of people asking about the care cottages since it started marketing them in September.

If you have older family members moving into your home instead, AARP recommends having certain parameters around chores and expectations. Privacy can be a concern for an older adult who has lived alone for a long time. You also need to prepare your home for things like trip hazards.

View original post here:
More choosing to live in multi-generational homes over senior living facilities - The Denver Channel

BEDFORD, Texas, Nov. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Legacy Housing Corporation (NASDAQ: LEGH) today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2020.

Financial Highlights:

This shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the Companys securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Management Conference CallNovember 17 at 10 AM (Central Time)

Senior management will discuss the results of the third quarter of 2020 in a live webcast and conference call on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at 10:00 AM Central Time. To register and participate in the webcast, please go to https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/zc7af25twhich will also be accessible via http://www.legacyhousingUSA.comunder the Investors link. In order to dial in, please call in at (866) 952-6347 and enter Conference ID 8382528when prompted. Please try to join the webcast or call at least ten minutes prior to the scheduled start time.

About Legacy Housing Corporation

Legacy Housing Corporation builds, sells and finances manufactured homes and "tiny houses" that are distributed through a network of independent retailers and company-owned stores and are sold directly to manufactured housing communities. We are the fourth largest producer of manufactured homes in the United States as ranked by number of homes manufactured based on the information available from the Manufactured Housing Institute. With current operations focused primarily in the southern United States, we offer our customers an array of quality homes ranging in size from approximately 390 to 2,667 square feet consisting of 1 to 5 bedrooms, with 1 to 3 1/2 bathrooms. Our homes range in price, at retail, from approximately $22,000 to $120,000.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. As a result, our actual results or performance may differ materially from anticipated results or performance. Legacy Housing undertakes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements after the date hereof, except as required by law. Investors should not place any reliance on any such forward-looking statements.

Investor Inquiries:Shane Allred, Director of Financial Reporting, (817) 799-4903investors@legacyhousingcorp.com

or

Media Inquiries:Casey Mack, (817) 799-4904pr@legacyhousingcorp.com

See the rest here:
Legacy Housing Corporation Reports 2020 Third Quarter Results - GlobeNewswire

The millennial-driven housing boom is just getting under way, and analyst Rohit Seth at Truist said Friday its time to buy the stocks of certain home builders ahead of an expected expansion of that boom next year.

Seth upgraded D.R. Horton Inc. DHI, -0.13%, PulteGroup Inc. PHM, +0.09% and Toll Brothers Inc. TOL, -0.36% to buy, after being at hold for most of 2020.

Seth also boosted his stock price targets for those home builders, to $100 from $58 for D.R. Horton, to $60 from $32 for Pulte and to $60 from $45 for Toll.

He also reiterated his buy rating on Skyline Champion Corp. SKY, +1.06% while lifting his price target to $36 from $32, and kept his hold rating on Lennar Corp. LEN, -0.70% but raised his price target to $93 from $62.

We believe the millennial-driven housing boom has significant runway, as the largest cohort of the largest generation heads into their prime home-buying years (2020-2025), Seth wrote in a note to clients.

See related: New-home construction surges to post-Great Recession high in October, driven by rise in single-family starts.

He listed four reasons why, after a strong 2020, the housing market will be even stronger in 2021:

1)The millennial tailwind should pick up speed in 2021

The largest wave of millennials is still on the horizon, and now has pent up cash to burn, more urgency to buy homes in the burbs on WFH, and potentially higher FHFA loan limits looming early next year, Seth wrote.

He said he believes the home builders that are in best position to take advantage of this set up are those well positioned in the entry-level market segment that can continue to supply homes at affordable price points. He believes D.R. Horton is the benchmark play on the millennial wave next year.

2) Real-estate savvy baby boomers should bounce back from a COVID-19-driven pause

Seth believes older baby boomers will drive demand toward the lagging active adult, move-up and luxury market segments. He said PulteGroup is well positioned to take advantage of this demand, as its made-to-order business model and current pricing power should support margin expansion and higher returns on capital. He believes Toll Brothers will also benefit given its exposure to the luxury market.

3) Home prices should rise even faster

House prices are likely to accelerate as production has just started to ramp up to fulfill backlogs, replenish tight home inventory and shore up the finished-lot supply following a stronger-than-expected year, Seth wrote.

Also read: Existing-home sales soar despite record-low inventory.

While higher home prices should benefit investors in stick builders, he believes its just a matter of time until higher home prices crush affordability, which should shift demand for affordable homes to the manufactured home market. He said Skyline is the leader in that market.

A stick built home refers to traditional wood-framed homes built to order.

4) Borrowing rates should remain very low

We believe mortgage rates should remain near rock-bottom levels, in the short-term, given prevailing monetary policy, which clears the way for the millennial theme to play out as hoped, Seth wrote. Read more about Federal Reserve policy.

The SPDR S&P Homebuilders exchange-traded fund XHB, -0.12% has rallied 25.5% year to date through Friday afternoon, while the S&P 500 index SPX, -0.67% has advanced 10.7%.

Link:
It's time buy these home builder stocks as part of the millennial-driven housing boom, analyst says - MarketWatch

UpMarketResearch, the fastest growing market research company, has published a report on the Manufactured Housing market. This market report provides a holistic scope of the market which includes future supply and demand scenarios, changing market trends, high growth opportunities, and in-depth analysis of the future market prospects. The report covers the competitive data analysis of the emerging and prominent players of the market. Along with this, it provides comprehensive data analysis on the risk factors, challenges, and possible new market avenues.

The report has been prepared with the help of a robust research methodology to cover the market in a detailed manner. To publish a top-notch Global Manufactured Housing Market report, the market report has undergone extensive primary and secondary research. The dedicated research team conducted interviews with the delegated industry experts to lay out a complete overview of the market. This market research report covers the product pricing factors, revenue drivers, and growth. Furthermore, it can possibly assist the new entrants and even the existing industry players to tailor a strategic business strategy for their products.

You can buy the sample report @ https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/63536

Impact of COVID-19 to the Manufactured Housing Report

This coronavirus outbreak has led various industry players to change business strategies and innovate their products. Moreover, it has created lucrative opportunities and few fallbacks that has revamped the overall industry. This report has integrated the data influenced by the COVID-19 effect and provided granular analysis on what market segments would play a crucial role in the growth of the Manufactured Housing market. It also includes insights into the successful strategies implemented by the leading players to stay ahead in the competition.

The market research team has been closely monitoring the market since 2015 and has covered the wide spectrum of the market to provide insightful data for the forecast period 2020-2027. UpMarketResearch has provided crucial data in a graphical representation with the help of tables, bar graphs, pie charts, histograms, and infographics. To give a detailed analysis of the market, the market segments have been fragmented into sub-segments. The segments drivers, challenges, and restraints are also considered which is vital for the market growth. Besides this, it also covers the impacts of government regulation policies and regulations on the market.

You can buy the complete report @ https://www.upmarketresearch.com/buy/manufactured-housing-market-research-2019

5 Reasons to Choose UpMarketResearch to Buy This Market Report

Market Segmentation Covered in the Report

By Product Type

Mobile HomesModular HomesPre-cut Homes

By Applications

ResidentialCommercialOthers

By Regional Analysis

Asia Pacific: China, Japan, India, and Rest of Asia PacificEurope: Germany, the UK, France, and Rest of EuropeNorth America: The US, Mexico, and CanadaLatin America: Brazil and Rest of Latin AmericaMiddle East & Africa: GCC Countries and Rest of Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

The major players of the Manufactured Housing market are:

Clayton HomesChampion Home BuildersSchult HomesHammondManufactured Housing Enterprises Inc.CavcoBonnaVillaCrest HomesTitan HomesSunshine HomesRiver BirchPine Grove HomesNashua BuildersModuline HomesMarlette HomesKarsten HomesKent HomesGiles IndustriesFleetwoodDesign Homes

*Note: Additional companies detailed analysis can be added in the report.

If you have any questions on this report, please reach out to us @ https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/63536

Table of Content of the Report

Executive Summary

Assumptions and Acronyms Used

Research Methodology

Manufactured Housing Market Overview

Global Manufactured Housing Market Analysis and Forecast by Type

Global Manufactured Housing Market Analysis and Forecast by Application

Global Manufactured Housing Market Analysis and Forecast by Sales Channel

Global Manufactured Housing Market Analysis and Forecast by Region

North America Manufactured Housing Market Analysis and Forecast

Latin America Manufactured Housing Market Analysis and Forecast

Europe Manufactured Housing Market Analysis and Forecast

Asia Pacific Manufactured Housing Market Analysis and Forecast

Asia Pacific Manufactured Housing Market Size and Volume Forecast by Application

Middle East & Africa Manufactured Housing Market Analysis and Forecast

Competition Landscape

About the company

UpMarketResearch is the largest aggregator of the market research report in the industry with more than 800 global clients. The company has extensively invested in the research analysts training and programs to keep the analyst tapped with the best industry standards and provide the clients with the utmost experience. Our dedicated team has been collaborating with industry experts to give out the precise data and figures related to the industry. It conducts primary research, secondary research, and consumer surveys to provide an in-depth analysis of the market. The market research firm has worked in several business verticals and has been successful to earn high credentials over time.

Contact Info UpMarketResearchName Alex MathewsEmail [emailprotected]Website https://www.upmarketresearch.comAddress 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United States.

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Global Manufactured Housing Market 2019 Trends, Market Share, Industry Size, Opportunities, Analysis and Forecast To 2025 - PRnews Leader

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

If the City of Mesquite can keep up its focus on its strategic plan, it could see more than 600 new workforce housing units built over the next two years.

That is what Mesquite Development Service Director Richard Secrist reported to the City Council at a meeting held Tuesday, Nov. 10.

During a presentation on the findings of the Citys Workforce Housing Task Force, Secrist tallied through a list of affordable and workforce housing projects already in the pipeline for the city.

Projects that are currently under construction included 48 apartment units being built on E. Mesquite Blvd. Also under construction are four units at Triangle Townhomes on 755 W. Old Mill.

Another 310 units have already been approved but are not yet under construction, Secrist said. These are in The Trails of Mesquite project proposed on W. Pioneer Blvd. near the Mesquite Ford dealership.

Another 234 units are ready to apply for architectural and site plan review with the city. These include 200 Nevada Rural Housing Authority (NRHA) units at Hillside Drive, 18 proposed units on Hardy Way, 12 units planned at S. Grapevine, and 4 units at Desert Drive.

None of this counted the 96 units that are in thye early planning stage by the NRHA for another project on Hafen Lane, Secrist added.

If all of these are brought to completion, it would meet one of the targets of the taskforce: building at least 435 new rental units in the community to meet existing demand, Secrist said.

In his report, Secrist reviewed that the City Council had begun a strategic planning process in 2019. One of the primary goals identified in that process was to prepare a plan to develop workforce and affordable housing for Mesquite.

A taskforce was organized to look at this issue and come back with recommendations on how to deal with it, Secrist said.

The first thing that taskforce did was agree upon a definition of workforce housing. Secrist said that the group adopted the NRHA definition as housing designed for people making 60-120 percent of the median income for the county where they reside.

However, a slight alteration to this definition had to be made, Secrist explained. In Clark County the median income is $70,800. But in Mesquite it is much lower than that at around $52,300, he said.

People making the 60-120 percent of that median income could afford a mortgage of between $103,000 and $257,000, the taskforce found.

But the median sales price of a single family home in Mesquite is currently at $307,730, the report states.

So people in these income brackets are going to be pretty much shut out of the single family detached housing market, Secrist said. But they would, presumably be able to buy a condo or townhome, if they could find one. But the market is tight and there are few vacancies right now.

A labor and wages survey of major employers in Mesquite, conducted by the task force, found that about 1,850 hourly wage employees in Mesquite earn only $12.50 per hour.That is only 50 percent of the Mesquite median income, Secrist said.

Furthermore, a national study showed that the fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Nevada is around $1,065 per month.

So if you can pay that plus utilities, without it being over 30 percent of your income, to afford a two bedroom apartment youd have to earn $20.50 per hour, Secrist said. So you can see that a lot of people that are making that $12.50 per hour, are going to have a hard time finding housing.

The task force also inquired of builders in the area on what were the greatest barriers for affordable housing projects in the community. Answers they received included high land costs, opportunity costs compared to better markets in St. George and Las Vegas, high development fees, the unpredictability of approvals and the increasing costs of building materials and labor in the region.

Given all of these findings, the taskforce report made some recommendations for the City going forward.The recommendations advised the City to focus its efforts on the target multi-family and manufactured home market since hourly workers are priced out of the single family detached home market.

In addition, incentives from the City should focus on homes priced at below $257,000, according to the recommendations. This includes condominiums, townhomes and manufactured homes which would be within reach of workforce homebuyers, Secrist said.

These City incentives should also be focused on parcels already improved, graded and which had already received entitlements and zoning, the taskforce recommended.

A series of changes to guidelines, city codes and master plan elements were recommended to make the construction of workforce housing easier for developers.

Finally, the taskforce determined that, if after all these items, the City was still unsuccessful in drawing developers to build workforce housing, that a local Housing Authority be created to use public funds for workforce housing project.

That is our report, Secrist said. There is progress being made. We will continue to meet with developers to try and entice them to come out here and try to overcome the issues that are keeping them from doing that.

With very little discussion, the council accepted the report with a unanimous vote.

Continue reading here:
Workforce Housing Taskforce Reports To City Council - mvprogress

A few tests have received emergency FDA authorization, which is different than full FDA approval.

While a COVID-19 vaccine is potentially right around the corner, researchers are trying to make testing for the virus easier.

One way is to make those tests available at home.

Currently, there are nine companies allowed to sell at home testing kits by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

They cost between $109 and $155 and use a nasal swab or saliva collection method.

You have to fill out a short questionnaire before getting the test delivered to your home, and you have to send the test back to a lab for results.

While the labs claim high accuracy, all of the tests were given emergency FDA authorization, which is different than full FDA approval.

That means the tests did not go through the same rigorous review. Health experts say there are two patient populations the at-home tests may work for: patients in rural areas without access to testing sites or high-risk patients who want to be tested without leaving their homes.

Just because you test negative, doesn't mean you don't have the coronavirus.

Doctors warn people should not be using these tests as way to justify having a large gathering, not wearing masks or not social distancing.

The FDA also a rapid results at-home test manufactured by Lucira Health, which requires a prescription.

Results will be shown in 30 minutes, but the test won't be available until the spring.

Connect with Local 5 onFacebook,TwitterorInstagram!

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What are the options for at-home coronavirus testing? - Local 5 - weareiowa.com

The surf is about to be up in the Coachella Valley.

The Thermal Beach Club is a private residential/vacation community being developed on the privately held Kohl Ranch land, just north of the Salton Sea. The developers hope its beaches and waves are open by 2023 to memberspeople who can either pay $1 million or more for one of the 326 homes, or $175,000 annually for a non-resident club membership.

Not surprisingly, some current residents of the Thermal and Oasis communities are dismayed by that prospectand the marketing push being employed by their new neighbor has exacerbated their misgivings. That marketing promises an opulent lifestyle characterized as: Adventure living. Wrapped in luxury. Artist renderings and a promotional video reveal a 20-acre wave pool that will feature a continuous stream of waves in excess of six feet each.

Our communities have remained undefended for generations, said a representative of the grassroots east valley activist organization No Se Vende who requested anonymity. It wasnt just during my parents or my grandparents time. This is a longstanding issue of not prioritizing our needs, and not engaging with the (challenges) we go through on day-to-day basis. Obviously, this Thermal Beach Club project viewed our community as an afterthought. And, obviously, with such a high membership fee, the people of Thermal, especially (many) who are undocumented and part of the farmworker community, will never be able to access this.

But proponents of the projectincluding six of the seven members of the Thermal-Oasis Community Council, as well as all five members of the Riverside County Board of Supervisorsview the buildout, in a disadvantaged region of Coachella Valley, as an opportunity that could jumpstart improvement in the area.

Honestly, its a gut-wrenching scenario that takes place time and time again when were talking about land use, said Riverside County District 4 Supervisor V. Manuel Perez during a recent phone interview. Mind you, when we talk about the disadvantaged communities of the east end (of Coachella Valley), this particular issue had folks in support as well as against. On the against side were the younger activists, while the support came more from individuals who are a bit older and want to see development. And its interesting, because if you look at the Thermal-Oasis Community Council, there was a vote in support of the project, and were talking about individuals who grew up on the east end and, quite frankly, individuals who also own polanco (mobile home) parks, who see the importance of bringing in infrastructure. The challenge is how to do that with limited resources.

So, I do look at this through the lens of social justice, like those individuals who are against this project, but I see how we get there from a different standpoint. I understand that we need clean drinking water. I understand that we need housing opportunities, and we need infrastructure as well as more community centers and parks. Weve had a few listening sessions to have those discussions, and obviously, were going to have more of them. COVID-19 put a stop to that process. But, at the same time, when I think about all of this, the county is in a very limited position to make those type of (infrastructure) investments, especially now because of COVID. So, unfortunately, we have to rely on development from the private sector to ensure that we are able to provide the amenities, and frankly, the basic necessities, that our people deserve. My colleagues on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors were amazed by what the developer was willing to do (for surrounding communities), aside from the usual costs of paying for permits and development impact fees. Theyre demonstrating that the Kohl family members want to be good neighbors.

Those benefits include a commitment to install water and sewer pipelines and hookups to connect with existing Coachella Valley Water District infrastructure in the area; a community benefit fund into which the Kohl family, through the developers, will pay $2,300 per unit, for a maximum of $750,000; a written good faith commitment to engage in a dialogue with the Board of Supervisors to identify land that can be utilized for affordable housing, with access to the new water and sewer infrastructure; a promise to hire local workers for 200 to 400 permanent jobs created by the project; a promise to procure materials and equipment locally; a promise to work with Desert Mirage High School to enable student access to the TBC facilities to learn how to surf; and county property-tax revenue that could eventually total $8.7 million annually.

Other opponents to the TBC development questioned whether there is enough water available to support the development. But according to Katie Evans, communications and conservation director at the Coachella Valley Water District, that is not an issue.

The Coachella Valley Water District is not a land-use agency, and doesnt have the authority to approve or deny any type of development, Evans said. Instead, our role is to evaluate the water-supply assessment and then provide the information to the land agency about our findings. Whenever a development comes in, they are required to evaluate the amount of water they are going to be using through formulas, and (by studying) past demand, building practices and plumbing codes, and provide that information to CVWD. We analyzed (the information from Thermal Beach Club), and we do have the water supply to meet that demand.

Thermal-Oasis Community Council member Matthew Melkesian voted in favor of the project. He said he has a background in low-income housing developmenthe is currently installing 40 manufactured homes in the eastern valley for the Riverside County Housing Authorityand Melkesian was impressed by the flexibility and generosity of the Kohl Ranch representatives.

Any time you are able to have a wealthy developer foot the bill on behalf of the community, we are going to welcome that with open arms, Melkesian said. The amount of offsite improvements that they have committed to doing is really such an asset and incredible for the community. Its one of those things that, unfortunately, people and residents take for granted, or they do not know the difficulty involved in the process of developing anything. Thats why I was one of the more-vocal advocates, because I have been a part of infrastructure and low-income housing projects.

Did Melkesian believe that the young advocates who spoke out against the development were heard by the community council?

We appreciate the communitys involvement, Melkesian said. Id like to see more members of the community continue their political advocacy and take it a step further: Dont just get involved in one development or one case that became emblematic of many of our societys problems. We need to have our community speaking out about what the community needs consistently. It cant just stop at this project. Thats the only way that lawmakers are going to make changes. We need people to really speak up and say that we need low-income housing.

Perez said a broader perspective is required to evaluate the community-changing potential of a development such as the Thermal Beach Club.

We need mixed land use, Perez said. We need mixed income levels. We need mixed housing. We need diversity. Even the economists who are part of the UC Riverside economic forecasts have mentioned that: Moving forward, we can deal with societys ills by being inclusionary of all these concepts. Quite honestly, I can say, having grown up on the east end of our valley, theres a reason why its impoverished. Theres a reason why all of the development has been on the west end. Ive got to think about the fact that there were decisions made back in the day in which the east end was not included.

Perez said he would ensure that the highly touted public benefitssome of which are described in rather vague terms in the current agreementare fully realized.

We made sure we got an agreement that within six months, well start working on the specific plan, and that is going to provide us the opportunity to think about the acreage for affordable housing. Ultimately, what that means is re-writing the specific plan that was written 20 years ago. The developers agreed to that. Six months from now, if that doesnt happen, that project, potentially, will not move forward. The same thing with the $750,000 community benefit fund. There will be checks and balances at the Board of Supervisors.

Believe me, this was not easy. Ive pondered it for over a year, and obviously, we want to make sure that we improve the conditions back home. I want to make sure I follow through on that. I think the east end deserves everything that the west end has. Why not?

Read the original:
Wave of the Future? Proponents of the Thermal Beach Club Say the Luxury Project Will Benefit the Entire Eastern Coachella Valleybut Not All Residents...

On Sept. 8, Phoenix resident Gladis Garcia was helping out with her husbands landscaping business when she got word that a small brush fire near Ashland was quickly growing into what would be known as the Almeda fire.

We got a call from my daughter that there was a fire in Talent, and that it was getting close because the wind was picking up, she said. We never really thought it would reach our home. We thought they would get it under control.

Garcia and her husband headed home, but they didnt get far as the fire swept north, through Talent and reaching the outskirts of Phoenix. Roads were jammed with people escaping the fire.

My husband and I were stuck in traffic, and there was no way to get back home, she said.

So they called their three children, ages 9, 14 and 19, telling them to grab a few important documents and some clothes and to get out. As the family drove to safety, they could see neighbors' homes catching fire behind them.

We could see the fire, and we knew our kids were going through a lot, Garcia said. Its a very stressful situation for a parent to not be able to be there for them and tell them that everything is going to be OK.

When the Garcias returned the next day, their manufactured home was completely destroyed, along with their daughters car.

Now the Garcia family is starting over with help from the Rogue Valley Relief Fund, a beneficiary of The Oregonian/OregonLives 2020 Season of Sharing holiday fundraising campaign.

>>To donate: Season of Sharing GoFundMe page

The fund, which was founded in the wake of Septembers wildfires, is a collaboration between five Southern Oregon grass-roots non-profits that normally focus on issues of climate change, affordable housing and racial equality. The fund is designed to get food and assistance to people affected by the Almeda fire. Rogue Action Center, Rogue Climate, SOHealth-E, SOEquity and Siskiyou Rising Tide have set up five distribution sites throughout the area, where people can pick up supplies such as baby food, diapers, blankets and tents.

The distribution centers have also served hundreds of breakfasts, lunch and dinners at the distribution sites every day. The centers are run by volunteers drawn from each non-profits regular pool of volunteers.

Gladis Garcia (second from right) and her children (from left), Caleb, 9, Ana Alvarez, 19, and Isaac, 14, carry items recovered from the remains of their home as they walk through their neighborhood in Phoenix, Ore., on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020. Gladis is holding the family molcajete, a Mexican kitchen utensil used to grind food. Ana is holding the license plate from her car, which was destroyed in the fire. Isaac is holding the remains of his electronic gaming console.Robin Loznak/For The Oregonian/OregonLive

People have been very comfortable and very appreciative to have some of these supplies so they can save their funds for things like their first months rent, hotel rooms, said Alessandra de la Torre, energy justice organizer for Rogue Climate. People are really appreciating how people are coming together to support each other in this time of crisis.

The fund, which is being implemented with help from Oregons MRG Foundation, has been able to give out $100 Visa cards, which people can use for anything they need, like clothes and groceries.

Se-ah-dom Edmo, executive director of the MRG Foundation, said that as of mid-October, more than $500,000 in aid had been distributed to the relief fund. Almost all of that aid has come from individual donations.

De la Torre said that some of those donations came from Rogue Valley musicians and artists who have been hosting their own fundraisers, like concerts and gallery shows.

While working on the relief fund is inspiring, De la Torre said, it also has been challenging because the offices for both Rogue Climate and Rogue Action Center were destroyed in the wildfire.

It will not stop our commitment to the community, because we are so much more than an office, she said. We will keep working to give the community united and sustainable change.

For now, the Garcia family is staying rent-free in a small Ashland apartment owned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. But theyll have to move out in January, when the festival needs the apartment to house visiting artists.

After that, where is a family of five with a dog going to go? Garcia said. Its hard to find a place because apartments are asking for more money than we have right now. Weve been getting a lot of help from smaller nonprofits, but theres only so much funding and support that they can give.

Garcia wants people to understand that her familys experience is anything but unique.

I really hope that the people who donate understand that our story is just one story, she said. We lost more than a house. We lost a community that night, and there were people who lost a lot more than us. I want people to put themselves in our shoes, and to one day have a home, and the next day to have lost everything literally in the blink of an eye.

What your donation can do

$25: Buy groceries for people displaced by fire.

$50: Buy a tank of gas for a family displaced by fire.

$100: Buy a Visa gift card for personal articles, as well as a night at a hotel.

-- Grant Butler

gbutler@oregonian.com

503-221-8566; @grantbutler

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Rogue Valley Relief Fund helps hundreds start over after Almeda fire in southern Oregon: Season of Sharing 20 - oregonlive.com

PARADISE Two years out from tragedy, the reality of obstacles to rebuilding after wildfire is all too clear driving through the town of Paradise.

Where surviving homes still stand, lot after empty lot surrounds them. Where new homes rise again, with hammers and saws heard through the trees, just down the street stands a trailer with few belongings in sight. Inequality that dogged Paradise before the fire is stark bare to the eye as a second winter after the fire closes in.

A countywide report which finally arrived the first week of September pulled no punches scrutinizing the gap in housing for all in Butte County, and the work needed if the town is serious about addressing the overwhelming need for cheaper housing.

There is certainly significant activity for bringing back traditional single family homes. Disaster Recovery Director Katie Simmons said for single family homes, 1,306 permits have been received, and 859 are to be built traditionally, with over 400 manufactured homes. There are 1,168 applications issued with 426 homes either rebuilt or on the way with certificates of occupancy issued.

The towns staff have also been quick to point out multiple outside offers of interest in buying up lots to rebuild and see. Community Development Director Susan Hartman said Thursday its common for companies to buy parcels of between 50 to 100 lots with the plan to build a new home and sell it. And the town does not keep track of how many contracts are for owner occupancy (often a former resident rebuild) or for this future development and sale by an outside company.

Residents who feel pushed out have said they know why the interest is so high. Land is cheap, and money can be made from those who have it and can afford the insurance.

But for those who lost everything and cant get it back, or still cannot make enough to have a hope to stay, the lack of less expensive housing is leading to desperation. Particularly as the economy reels from the pandemics losses, many cannot see room for growth towards a home of their own on the ridge. Those in trailers still tend to be low-income, previous renters or they may be the elderly with health issues, according to Chico State Passages Connections Program Director Shannon Simmons.

We need to be prioritizing low income housing in Chico specifically, she said, to address the increased vulnerability of people with low and fixed income like seniors.

For people on fixed income who have Social Security or disability or minimal retirement, it is literally impossible to even rent in this area, Simmons said. She added for the elderly poor, it can be a choice between living in a permanent home or paying for medication and food. These are some of the towns population still living in trailers, without the funds to recreate the home they had.

The real gap is in affordable multifamily housing or any new multifamily housing at all. There were 265 applications received as of Tuesday, with 216 multifamily unit permits issued and 70 units rebuilt with occupancy. These include the Community Housing Improvement Programs Paradise Community Village, and those rebuilds proposed by a number of other developers totaling 200 units in multifamily projects.

But Hartman said she hasnt had any meetings in the last six months with developers for new multifamily projects.

There are some mobile home parks under reconstruction, most of which were at capacity before the fire, Hartman said. At least half a dozen are working on septic and other underground utility repairs. This could bring some more options to those living in trailers needing a place to stay, but no long term solutions for those needing permanent housing.

The town points to coming grant funding as possible aid for those who cant afford to rebuild or may be forced to move. Simmons said in 2021, the town is receiving grant funds to help improve the building of affordable units. A total of $55 million is to be allocated to the town for use getting multifamily unit projects moving, prioritizing smaller density projects of up to four units.

A six-year pool for owner occupied reconstruction totaling $205 million opens in 2021 for those impacted by federally declared disaster. Permits given to those who are in temporary living situations or most heavily, for those rebuilding a single home with low to middle income below 80% of area median income, who could receive up to $200,000.

Its really for funding unmet needs, looking at those who might have a gap in reconstruction and permanent housing, Simmons said. They identified 60% (of survivors) were uninsured.

We know that most folks living in temporary housing are very interested in rebuilding but many are experiencing financial or time barriers.

The town does currently administer owner occupied reconstruction grant funds, at $25 million total for those who owned property prior to the Camp Fire. There are 88 applicants already with just under 100 interested who havent applied. The pool can assist up to 150 households.

And there are other grants available, like the Rebuild Paradise Foundation using septic grants available to offset permit fees for those who need to pay for their septic restoration to rebuild.

But, Until we start seeing PG&E payouts, we just dont really know how much those are going to amount to, Simmons said, which makes it hard for residents to decide whether funds from those claims will be enough to rebuild.

Hartman said the main next move for community development will not take place until the end of 2021, when the hope is to update the General Plan. using the sewer and traffic circulation studies going on throughout the first half of the year. This update will be vital to even know where to place new housing developments, she said.

Whats the reason why higher density, more affordable housing models cannot move forward more quickly?

Public Works Director Mark Mattox said the towns sewer infrastructure must come first. Development of multifamily housing in particular will not start in earnest until decisions are made on the sewer.

Mattox estimates that once the town commits to a long term option for managing its water, if environmental review of the proposed sewer can begin in December it will take 18 months. So the soonest pipes could be in the ground, allowing for higher density projects like multifamily housing, would be three to five years.

We may not hear from these developers for another year until we have a completed environmental impact report and funding for construction, which would be over $100 million, Mattox added.

Due to the need for this infrastructure to come first, There will continue to be uncertainty in the towns ability to create robust multifamily housing solutions, he added. These are not new issues to the town since before the fire, the lack of a sewer also impeded the ability to create higher density, cheaper housing options.

While the grants are there for multifamily housing, the infrastructure to support it is necessary, Mattox said. The need for a sewer is our reality.

A major town meeting will take place Tuesday to consider the fork in the road decision whether to look at creating a local waste water plant or using a regional extension to the Chico water plant, Mattox said. The town will then have another meeting Dec. 8 to discuss how to move forward on the sewer once everyone has more time to look at all information presented.

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Housing disparity on the ridge persists, future outlook is positive - Chico Enterprise-Record