Fresno mobile home replacement program in the works. Will it expand access?

City of Fresno staff are planning a new program for owners of older mobile homes that would cover some of the costs to replace their homes following complaints about the city’s current assistance program.

Fresno has a $1 million budget for its current program to provide grants of up to $60,000 to repair dilapidated mobile homes across its 27 mobile parks. But since the program relaunched in April 2024, it has only received nine applications for repairs, of which six have been approved and just two have been completed, according to the city.

To qualify, applicants must own their mobile home, have a home built in 1980 or later, and have a gross income below $56,340, which represents 60% of Fresno County’s current median income as of 2025. Moreover, residents must remain in the home for five years after receiving the funding in order to avoid having to repay it.

City staff told residents of the Villa Fresno mobile home park this week that they plan to launch a new program that would, instead, aim to assist with the replacement of dilapidated homes older than 1980, altogether.

”We hope to submit this new program to the state in the next month and ask the state to approve it,” said Phil Skei, assistant director of the city’s planning and development department. “The idea is that instead of trying to repair an older home, we would help you replace it.”

According to Skei, the new program would require residents to contribute a portion of the cost for a new mobile home, while the city would also provide funding to cover the home itself, as well as the removal of their existing mobile home.

“What we’re trying to do is make things easier by contributing some money for the replacement of your home, so you don’t have to borrow as much money from the dealer. Make it much more affordable,” Skei said.

Skei said the timeline for the program’s potential implementation will depend on when they receive a response from the state.

Undocumented residents would not qualify for the program.

Galvia Juarez, a resident of Villa Fresno, and her husband applied to the city’s current program when it first launched in June 2023. However, they later found out they didn’t qualify for it because their trailer was built in 1977, and the program only covers homes built in or after 1980.

As for the new mobile home program the city is proposing, Juarez said it would be beneficial to her and her family only if the funding the city provides to replace her mobile home is substantial.

“If the city provides more than half of the funding needed for a newer mobile home, I would consider contributing the rest. But if not, I don’t think it would be feasible for me,” she said.

Juarez said her current home requires major structural repairs, including fixing her damaged roof and replacing the floors in key areas of her home. Her plumbing is also old and leaking, with yellow water coming out of her pipes. On top of that, animal infestations from a nearby vacant lot have caused additional damage to water pipes underneath her trailer.

Margarita Mejia de Hernandez, another resident of Villa Fresno, said she also tried applying to the city’s current mobile home program, but didn’t qualify because her home was built in the 70s.

As for the new program the city is drafting, she said it wouldn’t be too beneficial for her for various reasons.

“Over time, I’ve done a lot of repairs myself. I’ve redone the roof, painted the house inside and out, and my flooring is in good condition,” she said “I’m also not working, so I don’t have any money right now to pay for a new home.”

Unlike Juarez and Mejia de Hernandez, Ricardo Zambrano, another resident at Villa Fresno, said that the new mobile home program the city is proposing would be beneficial to him and his family.

“I would be would be willing to put down some money for a new home if the city also helps me finance things. It would provide a bigger and better space for my kids,” he said.

Zambrano’s mobile home was built in 1975, so he doesn’t qualify for the city’s current program.

At the meeting, several residents told city workers that they don’t qualify for the current mobile home repair program because their homes were built before 1980.

Skei said this requirement can’t be changed because the state of California sets the rules for the funding.

This story was originally published August 9, 2025 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Fresno mobile home replacement program in the works. Will it expand access?."