Life Changing- A new, safe place to call home.

Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. For Patricia, the struggles of living in an older manufactured home in need of health and safety repairs, and helping to raise her grandchildren was overwhelming. “Before this program, I was struggling financially. I didn’t have enough to fix my home and was struggling with utilities and heat.”, Patricia said.

The preservation of affordable housing options is absolutely critical in the fight against poverty. In rural areas like Tioga County, where manufactured homes make up 15% of residential structures, it offers a unique option for homeownership. Manufactured housing today looks and functions differently than the trailer-style homes of the past due to the 1976 law that put national building codes in place for the construction of manufactured housing.

Today, high standards for safety, energy efficiency, and durability make manufactured housing an asset to confront the housing affordability gap. This often-undervalued form of housing is once again coming to the forefront of unsubsidized, affordable homeownership. Tioga Opportunities, Inc. proudly plays a part in bringing this option to the community by administrating the Mobile & Manufactured Home Replacement program (MMHR) funded by New York State Homes & Community Renewal.

In 2022, two Tioga County families in Newark Valley and Berkshire went through the months-long process of having their older mobile homes replaced with brand new, energy efficient, manufactured housing.  As part of the building process, each family underwent permitting, environmental review and testing, demolition and removal, site preparation, and installation of their new manufactured homes. Among the site work that supported the new homes were the installation of septic systems, enhanced water services, and brand-new electrical systems.

Both families were able to move in to spend the Thanksgiving holiday in their new homes, complete with state-of-the-art kitchens and appliances. As the keys were handed over to the homeowners, they said they felt like they had won the lottery and were being given a second chance.

“I feel great about everything, I’m very lucky to have been able to participate in this program. My grandchildren and I can enjoy the comfort and safety of my new home. It is a wonderful program, in fact, I have told so many people about it. I would be willing to give advice to anyone looking to go through the program themselves”, Patricia added.

As TOI looks forward to 2023, two additional homeowners have been identified to participate in the MMHR program. TOI recognizes that manufactured homes are the largest source of affordable, unsubsidized housing in New York State and hopes to expand its involvement in this state funded program to ensure homeowners in Tioga County continue to have the opportunity to access manufactured housing as a viable, safe, and affordable option for homeownership.

Learn more about how TOI is helping people and changing lives by viewing our 2022 Impact Report here: https://tinyurl.com/3yd6ypzz