Ideas worth spreading

America's most invisible communities -- mobile home parks

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Esther Sullivan |

TEDxMileHigh

• July 2017

Here's a fact: Not a single American working full-time for minimum wage can afford to buy a one-bedroom home. For many, mobile homes offer a way to break into homeownership. But owning a mobile home is risky, because these communities are virtually invisible and have few rights. Sociologist Esther Sullivan lists the reasons why mobile homeownership is so insecure, and discusses ways to preserve one of America's best options for affordable housing.

Here's a fact: Not a single American working full-time for minimum wage can afford to buy a one-bedroom home. For many, mobile homes offer a way to break into homeownership. But owning a mobile home is risky, because these communities are virtually invisible and have few rights. Sociologist Esther Sullivan lists the reasons why mobile homeownership is so insecure, and discusses ways to preserve one of America's best options for affordable housing.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxMileHigh, an independent event.

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About the speaker

Esther Sullivan

Equal Housing Maven

Esther Sullivan is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Colorado, Denver. Her research focuses on poverty, spatial inequality, legal regulation, housing, and the built environment, with a special interest in both forced and voluntary residential mobility. Esther holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from The University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. in English from The University of Chicago.

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxMileHigh, an independent event.

Read more about TEDx.