Gayle Schmidt remembers receiving a call from her mother in 2009 with the news that the homeowners of her manufactured home park in Redmond, Oregon, planned to form a cooperative and buy the property.
“I told her I thought it sounded like a great idea,” Gayle says.
She found out just how great after moving in with her mother in 2011. Gayle eventually inherited the home and is now a second-generation member of Green Pastures Senior Cooperative, a resident-owned manufactured home community for people 55 and older.
Cooperative Ownership
The roughly 43,000 manufactured home communities in the United States are home to 22 million people, according to the Manufactured Housing Institute. About 1,000—or 2%—are resident-owned. These cooperatives help preserve manufactured home parks as an affordable housing option for people on low or fixed incomes and give them a vote in how their parks are managed.
In commercially owned communities, park owners set the rent prices for the individual lots and create park rules. They also control the condition of the communities—from roads, water and electricity to wastewater systems and landscaping. If a park is sold to a new owner, the rent is likely to increase—or worse, parks may be closed and the land redeveloped.
In manufactured housing cooperatives, also known as resident-owned communities, residents create a not-for-profit business and collectively buy the park. The co-op members share the decision-making, including setting the cost of the monthly lot fees and the annual budget, as well as voting for the board of directors that manages day-to-day operations. The co-op is responsible for paying bills, property taxes, repairs and maintenance.
At Green Pastures, residents own their own homes, and each household is a member of the cooperative.
An Affordable Option
For those on a low or fixed income, resident-owned communities offer stable housing costs and long-term affordability. Christina Landon and her husband, Alan, moved to Green Pastures three years ago. They loved the quiet setting; the deer, rabbits and quail that frequent the property; and the price. Monthly lot fees, which haven’t increased since the creation of the cooperative in 2009, run $350 a month, including water, sewer and garbage.
“The low fees made it doable for us to retire,” Christina says. “If we weren’t here, one or both of us would probably still be working.”
She considers herself and Alan lucky to have found a place for sale in the 51-space park.
“When one of our houses comes up for sale—which isn’t often—they sell in a very short time because it is so affordable,” Christina says. “The park is very well maintained, and that makes a difference also.”
Cooperative ownership encourages a strong sense of community and engagement. Gayle has served on the co-op board of directors for four terms; Christina serves as treasurer.
“We agree that knowing the park belongs to us and the other residents and that we never have to worry about it being sold is very important,” Christina says. “We feel very safe in our park because everyone knows everyone. Since we have several single women here, that’s very comforting.”
Community Empowerment
Nancy Orellana has worked as the property manager at Bella Vista Estates Cooperative in Boardman, Oregon, for five years. In April, she also became a resident when she married Santos Orellana, who lives in the park. The community includes people of all ages, from children to seniors.
“A lot of times, new residents don’t know what it means to be in a cooperative,” Nancy says. “That essentially, they are the owners—and they can work together and budget for what they want to see in their community. Once they get comfortable, they start asking questions. They start getting curious. And once they’re comfortable, they ask what they can do to better this situation. The community comes together to be there for one another. It’s beautiful.”
When concerns arose about the visibility and safety of the entrance to Bella Vista, co-op members voted to fund improvements. They are now planning to improve the children’s playground.
“There’s a pride that you carry around every day when you walk around a community, and you know that it is yours,” Nancy says.
Shared Vision, Shared Success
Jake Sorensen moved to Bella Vista Estates Cooperative in 2015. He has served as vice president of the co-op board of directors since 2022.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth in Boardman, and it’s a challenge to find affordable housing,” Jake says.
He is proud that, similar to many resident-owned parks, the 126-space Bella Vista has kept monthly lot fees stable through the years.
As a board member, Jake works closely with CASA of Oregon’s Manufactured Housing Cooperative Development Center. Since 2008, the organization has helped 26 parks in the state—and 1,800 households—to convert to resident ownership. It is one of nine regional certified technical assistance providers for ROC USA, a nonprofit that works with resident-owned communities nationwide.
ROC USA and its partners help manufactured home park residents form cooperatives, secure loans and buy the communities in which they live. The providers continue to deliver technical assistance to co-ops after the property is bought. ROC USA has assisted parks around the country, including in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Utah.
“In Oregon, we are really lucky because the state has made a commitment to preserve manufactured dwelling parks by offering Oregon Affordable Housing tax credits to investor lenders and general housing assistance grants to help residents purchase their park,” says Rose Ojeda, CASA of Oregon’s MHCDC director. “They also make sure the cooperatives have enough capital to make improvements to their parks if that is warranted.”
Jake encourages manufactured home park residents who are curious about forming a cooperative to do their research.
“Look into it,” he says. “Look into companies like CASA of Oregon because the benefits are really astounding. You have a lot more control. You have a lot more say about what goes on in your community if it is a co-op.”
Building Community
Starting a resident-owned manufactured home cooperative requires careful planning, legal considerations and community engagement. The process usually begins when residents are notified their park property is up for sale.
“In Oregon, the law requires that if a park owner plans to sell their park, they must give tenants a notice of intent to sell,” says Rose Ojeda, director of CASA of Oregon’s Manufactured Housing Cooperative Development Center. “Residents have a deadline to respond that they want to compete to purchase the park.”
While different states vary in how to proceed with the process, it usually begins with a resident meeting to discuss what creating a cooperative entails and how much it would cost to buy the park. At that point, Rose says, Oregon residents can contact CASA of Oregon. The nonprofit guides residents on creating a housing cooperative, making a purchase offer, securing financing and buying the park. Homeowners outside of Oregon can contact ROC USA for the technical assistance provider in their region.
For more information, contact CASA of Oregon at casaoforegon.org or ROC USA at rocusa.org.