Manufactured housing makes up about 7% of the housing stock in Gallatin County, representing
the largest source of naturally occurring affordable housing. Across Montana and Gallatin
County, the number of manufactured and mobile homes are declining. When parks are sold for
redevelopment, residents face difficult choices as many households own their homes while
paying lot rent to the park; the term “mobile” is often a misnomer as the cost of relocating a
home can be prohibitive and depending on the age of the structure infeasible. Additionally, with
the decline in manufactured housing parks, there may be no available places to relocate to in
the region, forcing community members hundreds of miles from their homes to find housing they
can afford. There is no requirement that sellers of parks or government agencies provide
support or relocation assistance when residents of a park are displaced. Preserving mobile
homes and manufactured housing parks is critical to ensuring that Gallatin Valley residents can
continue to live and work in the community.
In February 2024, HRDC acquired Belgrade Trailer Court, a 20-unit mobile home community.
Our purchase ensured the residents’ protection from displacement due to development pressure
and preserved critical affordable housing in the Gallatin Valley. Long-term, two possible
pathways ensure the preservation of the community: HRDC maintains
ownership and operations, or residents form a Resident-Owned cooperative (ROC) to purchase
the property from HRDC and assume ownership as residents. In a ROC, homeowners form a
non-profit business called a cooperative. Each household is a member of the cooperative, which
owns the land and manages the business that is the community. HRDC would sell the land to
the ROC.
