Proposed rules for mobile home parks in Halifax come as a relief to residents

On a summer morning two years ago, Susan Doyle turned on the tap to run a bath — and was greeted with a splash of dark water.

"It was black as tar, the water. And I'm like, 'Oh my goodness,'" Doyle said in a recent interview at her Woodbine Park mobile home community in Beaver Bank.

After 13 years of winding its way through city hall, a proposed Halifax bylaw would outline construction requirements and service standards for so-called "land-lease communities" like Woodbine Park.

According to a staff report from the municipality, a land-lease community is a form of housing in which a resident owns their home but leases the land it sits on from a local operator. While they have traditionally been known as mobile home parks, the report notes that modern manufactured housing has "advanced considerably" to include other types of dwellings.

There are currently 29 land-lease communities in the Halifax Regional Municipality, with a total of 3,859 homes and capacity for an additional 441, the report said.

The bylaw amends or repeals existing rules around mobile home parks that hadn't been touched in decades, and addresses water testing, drainage, street maintenance, lighting and other issues.

'Our water pipes are breaking'

Doyle said on that July morning in 2021, she brought a cup of the black water to the community office, but was told the issue was either on Halifax Water's end or because pipes were being installed on nearby city streets.

Nine days later the landlord took action — after Doyle herself called in a Halifax Water technician, who found that the water was fine up to the point where the pipe entered Woodbine Park's property and their jurisdiction ended. Broken pipes were found within the park, and once they were fixed, Doyle's water returned to normal.

"No maintenance has been done to the pipes. So our water pipes are breaking. Our water is bad," Doyle said.

"It's very concerning, the water issue. So it will be a relief to know that our water is safe, or at least safer."

Under the new bylaw, operators would be required to test the water at the tap quarterly, and share the results with residents. There would also be a new minimum water pressure, and water systems under a boil water advisory would be excluded.

The Springfield Estates land-lease community in Middle Sackville has been under such an advisory since December 2021, so the new bylaw would require the operator to address the issue to keep their licence.

Heather Scott, the landlord for both Woodbine Park and Springfield Estates, did not respond to a request for comment. She has told CBC News in the past that it's the company's policy "not to participate in interviews or to issue any statements with and to the media."

Halifax staff consulted with land-lease residents and operators in January and February before crafting the proposed bylaw.

"What we heard time and time again from residents was — even when they feel their water's not safe — they were afraid to make a complaint because they're afraid of retribution from their landlord," principal planner Peter Nightingale told councillors last Tuesday.

Flooding has also been an issue in recent years. Videos and photos from this winter show knee-deep water lapping against people's parked cars and level with park benches near the Woodbine Park playground.

"People's yards flooding are like swamps, which affects the levelling of the building, making it off balance. Doors won't open, things like that. You can't go in your backyard unless you have hip waders on," Doyle said.

The proposed bylaw says an operator must keep streets and driveways in good condition, free from potholes, loss of gravel, "or other surface or drainage issues." Stormwater systems must also be sufficient to direct rainfall away from streets, walkways, recreation spaces and manufactured homes.

Community creates advocacy group

About two years ago, Lyle Mailman said he realized something needed to be done.

Mailman grew up in Woodbine Park until the mid-1980s, and still lives close by in Beaver Bank. He said he'd like to eventually move back into the park when he's older, as it has great community spirit and is one of the few affordable places in the area.

He and others like Doyle have joined together to form a Woodbine community non-profit society to research gaps in the existing bylaws and Residential Tenancies Act, and to share information so residents can better understand their rights.

"I saw the advantage of having someone that doesn't live in the park," Mailman said. "There can be a third-party voice."

Mailman and Doyle credited area councillor Lisa Blackburn for helping to finally get the bylaw drafted, more than a decade after Coun. David Hendsbee and former councillor Brad Johns got the ball rolling in 2010.

"To, you know, bring in … a bylaw that will improve people's lives — that is incredibly satisfying. That's the whole reason why I got into this game," Blackburn said in an interview.

The proposed bylaw also sets out construction requirements for new or expanding land-lease communities, including that they be located on sites with proper drainage, that 10 per cent of the land be dedicated to recreation space, and that sewer and water systems must meet Halifax Water specifications.

The bylaw is expected to come back to council for a final vote later this summer. If it passes, staff said there will be a three-month window to allow operators to make any needed changes before they have to apply for a new licence to bring them into compliance.