"opening doors to homeownership"

In 2006 CASA was awarded an I’m Home Grant funded by CFED with a match from Oregon Housing and Community Services.  In Oregon, as with the Nation, residents of manufactured home parks (MHPs) are falling victim to the high demand on their land by developers and park owners who are either ready to retire or who can’t refuse the lucrative offers being made for their land.

Manufactured Housing represents a large portion of the unsubsidized housing stock affordable to low-income Oregonians.  There are two growing trends threatening this stock:

1.  The sale and closure of MHP's and the consequent displacement of low-income households, and

2.  The increasingly run-down infrastructure associated with many parks.

CASA of Oregon started becoming aware of this issue a few years ago and began watching the trend and becoming informed about the issues.

Oregon has 1,325 manufactured home parks, representing nearly 67,000 spaces.  Since beginning tracking in 1989, the numbers show that 4.5% of parks have closed and 3.5% of the States total home spaces were lost.  These numbers are on the rise. 

The I'm HOME program will:

1. Evaluate the feasibility of various models of resident ownership, with the aim of determining which model or models work best in particular situations;

2. Based on a defined set of criteria, select one or more MHPs which are otherwise targeted for closure and assist the residents with the purchase of their MHP; and

3. Establish a collaborative of interested parties which can be an advocate for needed legislative changes and which can serve to provide on-going education and support to MHP residents seeking to build wealth through manufactured home ownership.

CASA's work plan will also result in the development of a replicable model or models for resident ownership, and in the development of an expanding field of Oregon practitioners who can provide on-going advocacy, education and assistance to MHP residents threatened with loss of their homes.

This multi-pronged approach will effectuate the primary goal of conversion of MHPs to resident ownership, in such a manner that the residents have an affordable, well-maintained asset with long-term secure tenure and the opportunity for asset appreciation.

With our partners at the Community Development Law Center, CASA has delved into legal, legislative, financial, land use, advocacy & organizing.  CASA has involved leaders in Oregon, as well as across the country.  In New Hampshire, Community Loan Fund (and their spin-off organization, ROC, USA) has pioneered ROCs (resident owned communities) with the successful conversion of 85 parks or nearly 20% of that State's total parks.

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