County officials: Mobile homes need more oversight

Nov. 06--Roxann Donaghe, 60, has no idea when -- or if -- she'll get money to repair her manufactured home that was ravaged by Hurricane Harvey.

The hurricane sent a tree crashing into the home, ripping holes in the ceiling and allowing water to seep onto the walls and her belongings. For the past two months, she's been living with three of her cats in a motel paid for by the Federal Emergency Management Agency while hoping the agency will give her cash for repairs.

"It's a mess -- it really is," Donaghe said. "I'm not the only person that is having trouble getting anything done. There are so many people."

But even if she's able to repair her home with FEMA's help, there's a good possibility the aging trailer wouldn't survive another hurricane.

Mobile homes -- especially those built decades ago -- were hit particularly hard by Hurricane Harvey, which ripped apart roofs and collapsed ceilings. Many of the people who lived in the aging structures were living paycheck to paycheck and are now holding onto hope that FEMA will make them whole.

But some county officials worry repairing crumbling mobile homes isn't a permanent solution -- especially if the region is hit with a hurricane again.

In rural parts of the county, there is little oversight on how used trailers are installed or sold by private individuals. People who buy used mobile homes from private sellers aren't required to get them titled, according to state officials.

County leaders say they want safer building codes, but state law currently doesn't allow counties to implement them. County Judge Ben Zeller said he was among government officials who might push state lawmakers to allow counties to adopt building and mobile home rules -- a power that only cities possess.

"The reality is, like we're seeing after the hurricane, is that those . structures that weren't up to any code are the structures that were destroyed, damaged by the storm," Zeller said. "It's very possible that those will be the same homes, the same addresses that will need assistance after the next storm."

Mobile homes -- commonly known as manufactured homes if built after 1976 -- make up almost 10 percent of all housing in Victoria County, according to 2016 U.S. census estimates. For some owners or renters, it's the only housing type they can afford.

Donaghe is a typical mobile home owner. She gets $775 in Social Security and disability payments each month, which must cover groceries, medical bills and utilities -- plus food for her five cats, she said.

One contractor told her it would cost $31,000 to repair the home -- close to its total value, she estimates. She doesn't have the cash to fix it, let alone purchase a home that would withstand hurricane-force winds.

"I own my property; I didn't have rent," Donaghe said. "I was barely making ends."

About 15 miles south of Donaghe's mold-infested home, some people in Bloomington are dealing with the same problems.

Bloomington is one of the poorest parts of Victoria County and is home to shabby trailers set up without foundations or straps to lock them to the ground. Some were crushed by nearby trees, while others were blown off blocks they were placed on, said Commissioner Danny Garcia, whose district includes rural communities such as Placedo and Bloomington.

Some of them weren't installed properly or were falling apart to begin with, Garcia said. Many are not worth fixing.

"They're putting people who live in them in danger," said Garcia, who is working with a group of local volunteers to find affordable housing solutions that don't include mobile homes.

In addition to replacing crumbling mobile homes with sturdy, permanent housing, he wants to ensure mobile homes in the county are set up safely -- especially by landlords who intend to rent them to others for profit.

"Some desperate family that needs a roof over their head will be forced to live in one of those," Garcia said.

The state's Manufactured Housing Division regulates dealers and installers and inspects almost 95 percent of manufactured homes placed on properties by state-licensed professionals, said Joe Garcia, who runs the agency.

But older homes already installed on properties don't have to be brought up to modern codes, Garcia said.

There's also less oversight for private individuals compared with licensed retailers, according to those in the industry. Although people are supposed to hire licensed installers to set up homes, not everyone is doing so -- especially when private sales occur in rural parts of the county.

"(People) set them right on natural ground," said Dylan Lanier, who works for manufactured-home builder Palm Harbor Homes. "Nobody really inspects them."

If a dealer sells a used home, it's overseen by the state, Lanier said. But transactions that occur between private sellers -- for instance, on Craigslist -- are often unnoticed by officials, he said.

"The state never knows anything about it," Lanier said. "The county never knows anything about it."

When the state inspects homes sold by licensed dealers, homes must be set on concrete or gravel foundations in addition to being properly tied down. All of those steps ensure homes won't blow apart during hurricanes, Lanier said.

But even if a home is installed correctly, not all are created equally to begin with, he said. After dealing with several hurricanes ranging from Andrew to Ike, the company has redesigned homes to withstand hurricane-force winds. That means using stronger materials such as nails instead of staples to hold shingles down and using sturdy bolts instead of glue.

"There's a difference between a Yugo and a Lexus," said Lanier. "Lexus chooses to build above the code -- better materials, longevity."

Palm Harbor's homes are more durable, but they can also be more expensive -- a problem for people like Donaghe, who can barely afford to fix her current home.

While waiting for answers on FEMA's help, she started picking through moldy belongings and cleaning up Hurricane Harvey's mess.

Rainwater seeps in through holes and a light fixture, so she fashioned a cone from tin foil to divert water into the bathroom sink.

At this point, FEMA will pay for her to stay in a motel until Nov. 27, she said. She has until then to figure out how to repair her home or find somewhere else to live.

"God provides for us our needs, not our wants," Donaghe said. "We may have one door closed, but another one will open."

Related coverage

Day 1: Here comes Harvey

Day 2: Brace yourself

Day 3: 'Prayers protect us'

Day 4: 'We thought we were going to die'

Day 5: 'At least God let us live'

Day 6: 'It's the luck of the draw'

Day 7: 'Everybody will pull together'

Day 8: Guadalupe floods parts of Victoria

Day 9: Texas Zoo evacuates animals (w/video)

Day 10: The Long Road Ahead (w/video)

Day 11: Residents rely on families to rebuild

Day 12: For some, normal still far away

Day 13: Church offers refuge for devastated town

Day 14: Victims find hardship, opportunity (w/video)

Day 15: FEMA frustrates Harvey victims

Day 16: Displaced and in disarray

Day 17: Disaster for humans means catastrophe for pets

Day 18: Nature interrupted (w/video)

Day 19: 'It was like we had been bombed'

Day 20: Students returning to school feel weight of Harvey

Day 21: International Crane Foundation loses office after hurricane

Day 22: Ranching structures, cotton mostly damaged by Harvey

Day 23: Port Lavaca struggles back after Harvey

Day 24: Refugio: 'We're trying to get back to normal'

Day 25: Nonprofit leaves people lost after Harvey

Day 26: 'We are human beings like everyone else'

Day 27: Refugio schools find way to reopen

Day 28: Bloomington schools begin year in different classroom setups

Day 29: Methodist church serves those in need after hurricane

Day 30: Scientists measure damage to endangered species' habitat (w/video)

Day 31: Medical community feels impact of Harvey

Day 32: Harvey's speed leaves many in harm's way

Day 33: After Harvey, Seadrift couple forced out of home

Day 34: Bloomington Elementary School educates students in FEMA dome

Day 35: School districts share issues with state, US senator

Day 36: VISD students observe See You at the Pole

Day 37: Expectant family struggles after Harvey (w/video)

Day 38: Woodsboro pulls together after Harvey

Day 39: Housing options slim for displaced families

Day 40: SBA approves more than $500M in disaster loans

Day 41: Hunger greater in Crossroads post-Harvey

Day 42: 'Harvey broke me'

Day 44: Goliad baby born as hurricane swirled toward Crossroads

Day 45: Mother recalls 'scary' birth during Harvey

Day 46: Harvey devastates homeowners without insurance

Day 47: Officials have no details on housing relief

Day 48: Harvey impacts couple's 2 Victoria businesses, Rockport home

Day 49: Crews begin repair work on historic McFaddin church

Day 50: Hurricane, flood force Jaguars to make adjustments

Day 51: Texas Zoo thanks Vickers students for donation

Day 52: Seadrift women helping people affected by hurricane

Day 53: Mold creates big problem for homeowners

Day 54: Crossroads public agencies deal with FEMA challenges

Day 55: Special delivery

Day 56: Texas Gulf Coast mayors discuss Harvey aftermath

Day 57: Tenants sue after Harvey eviction

Day 58: Nonprofit directors face difficult fundraising decision after Harvey

Day 59: VISD applies for waivers to reduce Harvey burden

Day 60: Victoria's relief efforts lacked coordination, leadership

Day 61: Popular restaurant battles back from Harvey

Day 62: City looks to buy sprinkler controls for $160K

Day 63: Housing after Harvey (w/video)

Day 64: City looks to help with hefty water bills

Day 65: Men's shelter, soup kitchen closed because of Harvey

Day 66: Watt routes almost $1M to Crossroads' hungry

Day 67: Recovery group seeks members, community leaders

Day 68: Habitat volunteers help Harvey victims rebuild

Day 69: Lawmakers, counties to discuss Harvey response

Day 70: Oyster season opens after Harvey; new rules adopted

Day 71: Crossroads leaders talk storm damage to lawmakers

Day 72: Symphony to open concert season after Harvey delay

Day 73: Harvey recovery group works to measure unmet needs

Day 74: City considers ways to shore up water system

Helpful information

Where to get water, gas and other supplies

Helpful information after the storm

Updates on city services

Related Stories

FEMA mobile home process lags after Harvey

City's top planner seeks federal help with housing

Sales tax receipts dip because of Harvey

SBDC helps business owners apply for disaster loans

___

(c)2017 Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas)

Visit Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas) at www.victoriaadvocate.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.