This year NeighborWorks® Montana held their third-annual ROC Summit for the nearly 30 residents from 10 ROCs in the state. While preparing for the Summit and planning the agenda, we decided to approach the vendors that the ROCs … More »
Blog
Finding a ‘truth nugget’ can defuse arguments
We all want to communicate in a direct, clear way. That can become difficult when we’re feeling verbally bullied. Bullying can come in the form of aggressive questions at a meeting, when sitting around the table at a … More »
Stigma, zoning are barriers to affordable homes
Manufactured (or mobile, as most people call them) homes represent the largest stock of unsubsidized affordable housing in the United States, with nearly 18 million Americans calling them home. Their modern amenities and affordable prices make them an … More »
Resident-owned in Big Sky Country
“Better Together.” It’s a phrase first sparked in me when I was a little girl growing up and wanted to build a fort out back of where we lived in the country. My mom would always say, “Why … More »
Energy efficiency can equal big savings for ROCs
At a recent ROC training event in Massachusetts, I had the opportunity to talk energy efficiency with an engineer from New Ecology and a group of ROC leaders. Specifically, we had a conversation about LED lighting, variable-speed well … More »
More reflections on Vegas and MH Tradeshow
This year’s tradeshow was the most heavily attended since the 2006 event, according to Manufactured Housing Institute President Dick Jennison – more than 1,300 attendees. Profits are strong and moods are good. For the 10th year, ROC USA had a booth at the National Congress & Expo. We … More »
HUD’s Carson spotlights value of land ownership for manufactured home owners
Dr. Ben Carson, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, spoke at the Manufactured Housing Institute’s annual convention in Las Vegas yesterday. I was excited to hear him speak, as were apparently a lot of … More »
When you’re neighbors, “because” is all you need
There are things that can’t be measured. A Realtor friend recently visited Freedom Village Cooperative in Concord. She’s helping the co-op rehab and sell some abandoned manufactured homes so it can keep residents’ rents low and keep the park vibrant. … More »
A Real Sense of Community at Colonial Estates
A few weeks ago, I traveled south to Colonial Estates in Taunton, Mass. to get some footage for a video that the National Co-op Bank is producing as a gift for our 10th anniversary. The plan is to … More »
Truly moved by obituary mentioning co-op as proud accomplishment
It goes without saying the most inspiring part of this work is the people, and the hard work they do to provide stability and security for their neighborhoods. That’s why when we hear about the loss of a … More »