The median price for a single-family home in Corpus Christi is about $261,000, which is out of reach for many families in the city where the median income is about $60,000 per year. A proposed manufactured home subdivision in Corpus Christi could help to fill the gap, with homes priced at wholesale for about $100,000. The developers proposed a layout of between 250 and 350 spaces for new manufactured homes, placed on rented five-acre lots. The proposal was denied by the Planning Commission due to concerns about the land being within the boundaries of an area near the Corpus Christi International Airport considered at risk for air traffic crashes. An amended proposal is being explored.
Following a report maintained by the Corpus Christi Association of Realtors, the median price for a single-family home in Corpus Christi was about $261,000 in April. While this represents a slight drop compared to the previous year, it is still out of reach for many families in the city, where the area median income is about $60,000 per year Following U.S. Census Bureau data from 2017 to 2021.
In light of this affordability challenge, developers recently proposed a manufactured home subdivision in Corpus Christi as a potential solution. The 95-acre property off Old Brownsville Road could have a layout of between 250 and 350 spaces for new manufactured homes, placed on rented five-acre lots.
Following Rob Murray, a mobile home dealer and potential buyer of the property, the manufactured homes could be priced at wholesale for about $100,000 in current market conditions. Murray noted that there is a good demand for this type of housing in the area, as evidenced by a nearby mobile home park with a waitlist of about 30 people.
While the proposal was initially denied by the city’s Planning Commission due to concerns about the future use of the land and air traffic safety concerns, an amended request to forgo developing on the at-risk portion of the land is being explored. The adjusted proposal could come before the Planning Commission later this month.
Murray emphasized the affordability of manufactured homes compared to traditional single-family homes, which usually cost about double. While buyers usually handle their own financing, there are options that can be made available to help them secure a home.
“We can still finance it for them so they can actually get a home instead of being on the street,” Murray said.
Of course, what’s considered affordable is relative and subjective. However, typically, paying no more than 30% of one’s income on housing is considered affordable. In the case of Corpus Christi, a family making the area median income of $60,000 would need to spend no more than $1,500 per month on housing costs to be considered affordable.
Manufactured homes could potentially provide a viable solution for families struggling to find affordable housing in Corpus Christi. While the proposal is still being explored and may face further challenges, it is an example of the creative solutions that developers and city officials are exploring to address the city’s affordability challenges.