To meet rising demands, the operator of multiple Nashville-area mobile home parks has been wanting to expand the properties.
Thursday, the Metro Planning Commission recommended the Metro Council approve UMH Properties’ rezoning request for the Trailmont community in Goodlettsville to pave the way for 56 new lots.
UMH properties has been wanting to expand a total of three Nashville-area mobile home parks. Others included Holiday Village in North Nashville and Countryside Village in Columbia.
Company officials said demand to rent mobile homes has been very high. There's currently a waiting list at Holiday Village. The decision to expand has been the direct result of the demand.
Sharon Brewer has lived in the Holiday Village community for two years. She moved when the rent at her previous residence increased substantially, and she was forced to move.
She said she has supported the expansion. She said she has seen a lot of positive changes and improvements on the property during her time there.
“Everybody over here is friendly, and everyone tries to help everyone,” said Brewer. “It’s not a rough area to live in. I wouldn’t move anywhere else.”
Chair of the affordable housing and gentrification task force for Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (NOAH), Paulette Coleman, said the need has been dire for affordable housing in Nashville. She said there's a waiting list for public housing, and the city has not been producing the number of affordable units needed. She said mobile homes could be a part of the solution.
“We have to be creative,” said Brewer. “We want to be a livable city for everyone. Not just people who are making six figures.”
Next year, UMH will make a request to rezone the Holiday Village and Countryside Village Park communities. Officials said this will be a long-term project, and there have been no finalized plans yet.
