PRESS RELEASE
Three-year grant advances a leadership-driven plan to make ROC USA scale-ready and nearly double the number of homes preserved within a decade
WASHINGTON, D.C. – ROC USA today announced a $10 million, three-year grant to implement a scale readiness Action Plan that will strengthen the capital, technology, policy, and operating infrastructure required to bring resident ownership to substantially more manufactured home communities. The investment, from The Studio @ Blue Meridian Partners, will help ROC USA prepare for transformative growth and put the Resident Owned Community (ROC) model on a path to preserve approximately 48,000 homes within 10 years, roughly twice its current reach.
ROC USA and our Network helps homeowners in manufactured home communities form cooperatives, purchase the land beneath their homes, and govern their neighborhoods democratically. Resident ownership protects communities from speculative sale or park closures, gives homeowners control over major decisions, and preserves affordability over generations. ROC USA and its Network now collaborate with about 365 Resident Owned Communities representing nearly 25,000 homes in 22 states.
The resulting plan is designed to move ROC USA beyond incremental growth while advancing the quality of support provided to resident leaders and ROC USA Capital’s portfolio health.
“ROC USA distinguished itself because Emily Thaden brought a clear, ambitious vision for transformative growth, and the broader leadership team had the discipline to test it,” said Melinda Pollack, Managing Director at Blue Meridian Partners. “They interrogated what was and was not working, built complex financial and impact models, and incorporated challenging feedback into a coherent three-year plan. That combination of leadership, rigorous planning, and a proven model gave us confidence that ROC USA can become scale-ready within three years and shift from incremental growth toward putting resident ownership on a path to preserve twice as many homes within a decade.”
Over the next three years, ROC USA aims to recruit and mobilize more than $300 million in equity, balance-sheet debt, loan participations, and public subsidies. ROC USA will also help its Network of Certified Technical Assistance Providers (CTAPs) access additional capital to scale their impact in existing markets. Shared investments in technology and operating systems will modernize how resident ownership is delivered nationwide, helping ROC USA and CTAPs operate more efficiently and equipping resident owned communities with stronger tools to manage their finances, maintain their infrastructure, and govern their communities for generations. Together, this work marks a shift from a patchwork of local efforts to a coordinated national system that is ready to act whenever homeowners have the chance to buy, putting the ROC model on a path to nearly double its reach within 10 years.
One pillar of the plan is maturing how ROC USA Capital aggregates and structures capital. Two existing Acquisition Pools – one in Colorado and one national – have successfully blended philanthropic, public, bank, and CDFI capital to offer communities affordable, fixed-rate, long-term financing. With those pools nearing full deployment, ROC USA Capital plans to use a meaningful portion of Blue Meridian’s grant as catalytic equity to seed the next Acquisition Pools, targeted to total approximately $80 million. The ultimate objective is to access larger institutional capital in the coming years.
Emily Thaden, Chief Executive Officer, ROC USA
“This investment is catalytic, but it is not enough by itself to deliver the full plan,” said Lauren Counts, Chair of the ROC USA Board of Directors. “Our goal is to match its $10 million commitment with additional grant support for implementation. We will also need substantial low-interest, patient capital so ROC USA Capital and our Network partners can keep pace with a growing pipeline of communities ready to pursue ownership. This is the moment for current and new partners to lean in so Blue Meridian’s commitment can catalyze far greater mission impact and long-term organizational sustainability.”
“Throughout our history, and especially in recent years, ROC USA has been incredibly fortunate to earn the support of a growing community of funders and impact investors,” Thaden said. “Blue Meridian’s commitment creates an extraordinary opportunity, but we will realize its full promise only with continued support and additional investment from both current and new partners. Together, we can open the door for far more homeowners to purchase their communities and preserve affordable homes for generations.”
ROC USA invites philanthropic partners, financial institutions, impact investors, and public agencies to join this next phase by providing flexible grants, equity, low-cost capital, and public resources. Learn more at rocusa.org.
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About ROC USA
ROC USA is a national nonprofit social enterprise that makes resident ownership viable and successful for homeowners in manufactured home communities. Through integrated financing, technical assistance, resident leadership, and public policy, ROC USA helps homeowners purchase and cooperatively own the land beneath their homes. ROC USA Capital is a certified Community Development Financial Institution dedicated to financing Resident Owned Communities. Learn more at rocusa.org.
About Blue Meridian Partners
Blue Meridian Partners brings philanthropists together to find, fund, and scale solutions that propel economic and social mobility for America’s young people and families, ultimately transforming life trajectories. The Studio @ Blue Meridian provides social sector leaders with coaching and capital to accelerate their organizations’ readiness to significantly scale their impact, reach, and influence. Learn more at bluemeridian.org.
