Development fee for mobile home jumps to $21K

Ken Templeton was shocked when the city told him a new tenant could be required to pay more than $21,000 if they wanted to put a mobile home on the land he has owned since 1976.

Templeton owns and manages the White Swan Mobile Home Court and the Highland Park Mobile Home Estates. His father bought the land before him, and he’s managed the property for nearly 50 years.

Five years ago, a mobile home moved and left one of the 240 lots vacant. When Templeton approached the city recently to request a new mobile home on the lot, he was told the applicant would have to pay for the charges.

Currently, the fee is roughly $7,000. In 2027, it will increase to more than $21,000.

“I was surprised,” Templeton said on Tuesday. “I was never notified (about the charges) until I made the request.”

The reason for the high price tag to put a new mobile home on the lot next year is the city’s development charges, which were implemented in 2019 and set to increase in 2027.

Development charges are an extra fee the city charges to permit applicants when they develop land within the city. The charges are meant to help the city pay for the infrastructure required to support new developments, such as roads or water services.

They act as a “cost-recovery mechanism,” said Ryan Nickel, acting general manager of development services for the City of Brandon.

“A growing city requires more infrastructure and new infrastructure to provide services to new areas,” Nickel said.

In the bylaw that outlines development charges in the city, mobile homes are classified as low-density housing, the same as a single-family detached home.

“So, when someone comes in, and they’re building a detached house in the city, they pay… development charges. So, it would work the same for a mobile home,” Nickel said.

The bylaw says that after a property has been vacant for more than five years, the permit applicant must pay the development charges.

Templeton questions why a development charge must be paid on a lot that was developed decades ago.

“How can 50 years of developed land be classified as an emerging growth area?”

Nickel said the five-year period was based on what other municipalities in Canada do and for long-term planning purposes.

“When lots are left vacant after long periods of time, they’re often not involved in our overall infrastructure planning,” Nickel said.

“For example, our water — we would model our existing demand based on what’s in place right now and what are the demands for all those users of the water,” he said.

“It’s hard to take into account infrastructure network, especially if something is vacant for an extended period of time, such as over five years,” Nickel said.

The charges vary on the type of proposed development. High-density homes in established areas have a lower fee, while low-density homes in emerging areas pay more money in charges.

Council increased the development cost charges (DCCs) by more than 200 per cent in April 2025.

For high-density developments, the 200 per cent increase is currently being phased in over a three-year period. In 2027, the DCC will be $15,661, according to the city’s development charge rates.

However, the 200 per cent increase is not being phased in for low-density developments and Templeton is required to pay $21,193 if a mobile homeowner moves onto the plot of land.

Templeton said the development charges will negatively impact affordable housing in the area.

“The city wants affordable housing — mobile homes are affordable,” he said. “Why do anything to damage that niche.”

In letter written to Templeton, Nickel wrote that “affordability within existing mobile home parks was not anticipated to be impacted.”

» rgerrard@brandonsun.com