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Fairfax County could send its first major overhaul of manufactured-home zoning rules since the 1970s to the Board of Supervisors by the end of the year, potentially strengthening protections for residents facing redevelopment or displacement.
The proposed regulations would shape future development at the county’s seven existing manufactured-home parks, most of which are along the Route 1 corridor. Existing properties would remain grandfathered under the rules already governing them.
County planner Jennan Qato told supervisors during a July 8 land-use committee meeting that the regulations have changed little since their adoption in 1978. Several communities already existed at that time and received exemptions from some requirements.
County staff began exploring amendments to the comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance after surveying manufactured-home residents last year about their needs. The work also builds on recommendations from a Manufactured Housing Task Force whose proposals were adopted by supervisors in 2022.
The roughly 1,770 households in the parks typically own or rent their homes while leasing the land beneath them. That arrangement can leave residents vulnerable if a property is sold or redeveloped. Portions of some communities also sit within floodplains.
County staff said none of the current park owners has indicated plans to sell or redevelop, though some have shown interest in incentives that would help preserve the communities.
Under the proposed comprehensive-plan amendment, manufactured homes would be explicitly recognized as an important source of affordable housing. If a community were redeveloped, the plan would call for replacing existing homes on a one-for-one basis and providing relocation assistance to displaced residents.
Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said he is deeply committed to modernizing the regulations and finding ways for renters to become property owners. However, he acknowledged that there is “no clear and easy path at this point” to expanding ownership opportunities.
Density and parking rules could change
The zoning amendments would revise standards for the R-MHP District, which have remained largely unchanged since 1978.
Current regulations require a manufactured-home park to occupy at least 15 acres. Density is generally limited to six homes per acre, although supervisors can approve as many as nine. Parks must also provide at least 1.5 parking spaces per home and maintain 15 feet of side-to-side clearance.
The draft would raise the maximum density to 10 homes per acre, require two parking spaces per home and adjust some setbacks.
Officials have not decided whether to retain the 15-foot separation requirement between homes. Virginia law requires a minimum distance of only 5 feet.
Qato said some proposed standards reflect conditions already found in the county’s communities, while residents themselves requested other changes, including additional parking.
Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith, who chairs the land-use committee, emphasized that the revisions are intended to govern future activity and would not necessarily change existing conditions.
She warned that unclear communication could raise expectations that the county cannot fulfill and said officials must continue talking with affected residents.
Supervisors also reviewed recommended updates to voluntary relocation guidelines for manufactured-home residents displaced by future redevelopment. Smith joined Lusk in requesting more study of possible paths to ownership for residents who currently rent their lots, saying the county needs “more creative ways” to address the issue.
About 350,000 Virginia residents live in manufactured housing, representing approximately 4.4% of the state’s population.