What’s going on with manufactured housing in Fort Collins?

    In the summer of 2019, City Council initiated a moratorium on the acceptance of development applications that could result in the partial or total closing of manufactured housing communities. Councilmembers also directed staff to investigate livability issues at these communities and to help clarify rights and responsibilities of manufactured housing owners and residents. Since then, City staff have been exploring possible changes to the zoning and regulation of manufactured housing communities.  

    What changes are proposed to the zoning of manufactured housing communities?

    The City is considering creating a new Manufactured Housing (M-H) zone district as a tool to promote the preservation of existing manufactured housing communities  The new M-H district allows manufactured housing and only a small number of other uses, such as childcare, places of worship, and parks/recreation facilities. Other land uses such as apartments, offices, and retail, which are currently allowed by existing zoning, would not be permitted in the new M-H district.  The goal is to reduce the likelihood that an existing manufactured housing community would close due to redevelopment.

    How would the new M-H district be applied?

    The City is considering changing the zoning for existing manufactured housing communities to the new M-H district this fall. If the City initiates this zoning change, special signs will be posted at the entrance of each property and additional mailed letters will be sent to residents and nearby property owners. The rezoning process requires hearings with both the Planning and Zoning Board and City Council and there will be opportunities to provide comments at these public meetings in-person or by phone, letter, or email.

    What other code changes are proposed?

    Both the City of Fort Collins and the State of Colorado have also recently adopted a number of code and policy changes to increase protections for residents living in manufactured housing communities. Key changes include:

    • Transparency for water utility billing including seeing monthly charges for the whole park and formulas used to calculate each unit’s portion of the total bill
    • Protections against retaliation
    • Creation of a new statewide Mobile Home Park Dispute Resolution Center
    • Designation of tree maintenance as the responsibility of mobile home park owners; the cost of this can no longer be charged to residents