During the joint Minnehaha County/Sioux Falls City Council Meeting yesterday, Councilor Stehly suggested that we need more mobile home parks in Sioux Falls. I have heard Stehly talk about this in the past. What she is essentially saying is we need to promote more affordable housing solutions for people in Sioux Falls. Whether that is mobile homes, tiny homes, smaller manufactured homes, etc. A new, modest family home in Sioux Falls will run you well over $250K. Other affordable pre-owned housing will run you around $150K, but those houses are few and far between in Sioux Falls. One reason is we allow the major developers and hospitals run the planning department. They admitted to it when I attended the Citizen Planning Academy a few years ago when an attendee asked why Sanford Hospital is allowed to tear up these affordable neighborhoods, the answer was it came down to ‘money’. They have a lot of it, so they get to do what they want to. Many people are being ‘priced out’ of housing in Sioux Falls, and all Stehly was asking for is options.
That didn’t stop this frequent commenter and A-Rod on Pitty Patt’s blog to comment on FB that suggesting more mobile homes or other affordable housing is ‘Stupid’. I just want to tell ‘Troy’ that the only thing that is ‘stupid’ is the greed of people like him. I can tell you why contractors are not building affordable housing in Sioux Falls – there’s no excessive profit in it.
Speaking of ‘Dead Jensen’ (My new nickname for him) his all knowing treasurer, Paulson, sent out this fundraising email the other day;
Good afternoon –
Over the last couple of years, I’ve become increasingly interested in local political issues. Your local city and county governments have a significantly higher influence on your day-to-day life than your state or federal government. They maintain infrastructure, build public amenities such as parks and bike trails and foster future economic development. Because of the role local government plays in our lives, I think it’s incredibly important to have a solid mayor, city council and county commissioners.Â
This election cycle, I am backing candidates in Sioux Falls that will support future growth in the city, work collaboratively with stakeholders across government and private industry and put the best interests of the community first. Specifically, I have agreed to serve as the campaign treasurer for Alex Jensen who is running for the At Large position (currently held by Theresa Stehly) in next Spring’s city council election.
Alex is one of the most positive, sharp and community-minded people I know and he will be a fantastic addition to the city council. He and his wife Nikki just welcomed a son (Jack) into the world. Alex works as a business banker for First Premier and has volunteered with the YMCA, Junior Achievement, the Home Builders Association of the Sioux Empire and Faith Lutheran Church. He previously served in the state legislature where he voted to increase teacher pay, provide property tax relief and implement a new roads and infrastructure plan.Â
There aren’t many politicians I get excited about, but Alex is one of the good ones. Alex hopes to reach every voter in Sioux Falls with his “positive and proven” message. I plan to give my all over the next five months to help get him elected and hope that you will consider helping too.Â
Thank you for your consideration.Â
Matthew Paulson
I think it will be funny if ‘Dead Jensen’ raises and spends $100K+ and Stehly decides NOT to run. It will show that apparently it costs $100K in Sioux Falls to just get on the city council without a competitor.
For the record, I have lived in a Mobil Home. Many good people do.
We were told during the presentation that we were going to be working to provide 1,000 new units of affordable housing in the next several years. I specifically asked if that included home ownership and the answer is yes.
I then stated that we have some lovely Mobil Home areas in our community and it is an affordable option if you can get the financing. Compare a $60-80 investment versus a traditional home starting in the $130,000 range.
We also heard that one of the major triggers for homelessness is eviction. I asked if we have funds available to help in those emergency situations. We were told that it is the county’s problem. I suggested that we should explore if the City could also partner up to assist.
We also talked about preserving affordable housing stock in our core neighborhoods. I have concerns about losing the homes in the area surrounding the hospital’s campus. We will never be able to replace this type of home for the purchase price now listed.
Lastly, we were told by the Augustana research presenter that moving forward, our community needs to involve a more diverse group of voices on the new homeless board. There will be room for five citizen members to be involved. I will be encouraging interested citizens to apply.
I invite you all to watch the meeting on the City website and as always, reach out to me with comments,questions and concerns…tstehly@siouxfalls.org
Happy Thanksgiving to you all and God bless.
Theresa, thank you for all of your hard work on this issue. It is easy to cherry pick certain statements and use a broad brush. Affordable housing isn’t an easy fix, it takes an army, unfortunately ‘Troy’ is too ‘stupid’ to figure this out.
There’s a misoriented critique incited by paid city radicals. It’s a shortage of land for mobile and tiny homes within city limits. It’s time to build neighboring where the county is more receptive and less stringent. The city will become more parking garages and empty commercial strip malls. Don’t shop here. But online from another zip code. The core must die before it can come back with a new charter and promising perspective.
Stehly speaks for the masses. She should not run for another term on the council. The council has become the elite black uniforms insider. Let this city fail. It’s another Detroit. We can be proud of our county and state. Stehly is better outside the city representing real people in higher government offices.
i’m sure “troy” also is in favor of tifs.
Mobile homes are trending for Trump, while upper middle income neighborhoods are beginning to trend away from Trump.
Maybe the Republicans are right about mobile homes, but wouldn’t that be “stupid” for their own political survival?
I am a supporter of theresa stehly. She isnt your flight by night politician . She wears one face and one face only. When she ran for office citizens knew what she was about and when she won she did exactly what she said during her campaign. Theresa is there for the citizens. She isnt a part of the buddy system like t down in pierre. Theresa stehly will win next election she has a track record she has alot of citizens supporting her . This race will prove that money isnt everything just sit back and watch. Theresa is very cautious when voting in big projects that involve everyone’s tax dollars . Theresa has a voice a back bone and that what we need nothing wrong with new blood and change in city government .
I myself grew up in several mobile hoods and found it a good place to live. That said, if you look at todays trailer court the lot rent is too high and the trailer is consistently devaluing while you have to maintenance it.
Mobile homes are a poor investment and you need to take a drive through a few of the cities mobile home courts to see that there is an abundance of open lot’s and trailers for sale.
Theresa’s idea was fully thought out but certainly didn’t need this type of reply. This guy is obviously a Matt Paulson voter/promoter.
If we were really serious about helping low income home buyers, we would get rid of PMI as it a rip off of the working class home owner.
I would agree. I calculated it once and I figured I paid in over $6000 into it over the life of it. I was glad when it ended. Never got nothing out of it. I think you should at least get a percentage of it back to go towards principle.