For the past 28 years I have lived in a manufactured home in a mobile home park. For years, there has been a stigma associated with living in the type of community I reside in. I am a single mom and always want the best for my daughter. When we first moved here, she was five years old. She was ashamed to say she lived here because her friends made fun of her. How do you explain that to a child? I did what I had to do at the time to be near my parents. My father’s health was getting worse, and my mom needed someone close to help. I think my daughter finally realizes now how lucky we both were to be so close to my parents. She had the opportunity to spend time with them that the other grandkids did not. Through the years I have replaced the old home with a new one and made it mine. Most people assume that anyone living in a park must be trailer trash. I hope to change your opinion by the time you finish reading this.
I am part of a ROC, also called a Resident Owned Community. We own our homes, and all residents share ownership of the land our homes sit on. Decisions are made by all residents/owners and not by a landowner or park manager. We are owners of a multimillion-dollar cooperative that must register with our state as an LLC. We set our own bylaws, and every resident is part of setting our rules and regulations. Our monthly rents cover the operation of the community. Like most parks, the previous owners did little to ensure the infrastructure was sound. We are now responsible for making repairs or having complete systems replaced to meet everyday needs. We are responsible for finding the funds to get this accomplished. Does this sound like something “trailer trash” could do?
We all know our neighbors and are there for each other. We are diligent workers, teachers, nurses, therapists, business owners, carpenters, electricians, painters, farm workers, students, customer service employees, and factory workers. We participate in our local, county, state, and federal governments. We are mostly moderate to low-income families just like anyone else.
We happen to live in the fastest growing sustainable segment of housing in the United States. These are not trailers, these are our homes. We have worked hard and are proud to say we own our homes and the land under them. This will not change, no one can purchase it out from under us. We do not see the outrageous rent increases or unheard-of home prices that are happening all around us. In Colorado, a one-bedroom apartment is anywhere from $1,200 to $1,600 per month and mortgages are through the roof. Our rent is under $700 per month while other corporate owned communities are over $1,000 per month. We can keep the lot rent lower and give each resident and their families a good place to live. We are here to keep housing affordable for our residents.
I am proud to be part of the ROC (resident owned community) movement. Housing should be affordable to everyone, not just a few.
Kelly Jensen is the ROC Association Director for Mountain West Region and Board President at Paradise Village Co-op in Johnstown, Colo. You can email her at west@rocassociation.org.