Are you developing a story about a recent resident purchase, trends, challenges or solutions related to the manufactured housing industry? Or researching a speech, white paper or similar project? Our expert staff and Network of affiliates provide technical assistance to more than 290 resident owned communities nationwide, making ROC USA® the national leader in resident ownership. Here, we offer quick facts about ROC USA, ROC USA® Capital, a CDFI lending only to resident groups in manufactured home communities, a glossary of industry terms, media contacts, sources to interview, stories and visuals ready to share, and articles about ROCs and the manufactured housing industry.
For all media inquiries
email Mike Bullard or call (603) 513-2827.
On the go? Download our one-page media fact sheet.
ABOUT ROC USA
ROC USA Quick Facts
Founded: May 2008 by three non-profits: New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, Prosperity Now, and Capital Impact Partners with sponsorship from NeighborWorks® America.
Mission: To make quality resident ownership viable nationwide and to expand economic opportunities for homeowners in manufactured (mobile) home communities.
ROC USA® Capital: ROC USA Capital is a U.S. Treasury certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). ROC USA Capital only lends to resident-owned communities that work with a Certified Technical Assistance Provider in ROC USA Network. These loans can be for community purchases, refinances, or community renovation projects, as well as a forgivable pre-development loan for communities considering resident ownership.
ROC USA® Network: ROC USA Network is a group of regional non-profit affiliates that provide coaching and expertise to resident groups through the entire community purchase process and beyond. These technical assistance providers help resident groups assess a community purchase opportunity, work through the purchase, and successfully manage the resident-owned community for years to come.
Communities Converted to Resident Ownership: 304
Member Households Served: 21,543
Largest ROC: 430 homes, Halifax Mobile Home Estates Association, Halifax, Massachusetts
First ROC: Meredith Center Cooperative, Meredith, N.H. – purchased June 1, 1984
Newest ROC: Evergreen Village Cooperative, Inc., Mount Bethel, Pa. – purchased Oct. 31, 2022
ROCs financed by ROC USA Capital: 114 ($366.8 million)
Resident Ownership Basics
In a resident-owned community, homeowners form a non-profit business called a cooperative. Each household is a Member of the cooperative, which owns the land and manages the business that is the community. Members continue to own their own homes individually and an equal share of the land beneath the entire neighborhood.
In resident-owned communities:
- The cooperative purchases the community and operates it in a limited-equity structure.
- The Members elect a Board of Directors to run the community.
- Decisions are made democratically – each household has one vote.
- Profits from monthly site fees are reinvested into the community.
Watch this 77-second video that helps explain resident ownership.
Preferred Terminology
Common terms like trailer park, trailers, parks and mobile homes are outdated and stigmatic for the people who live there. Instead, please use the following terms:
- Manufactured home community
- Manufactured homes (or simply ‘homes’)
- Homeowners
Instead of using the term rent, use monthly site fee, especially when referring to Resident Owned Communities.
MEDIA coverage OF RESIDENT OWNED COMMUNITIES
ROC USA President Paul Bradley and Chance Seales of Scripps News Reports discuss resident ownership in manufactured home communities
ROC USA President Paul Bradley appeared in an interview with anchor Chance Seales where they discussed cooperatives, the process of communities purchasing the land under their homes and the generational advantages to resident ownership.
Facing rising rents, mobile home park residents are buying their land
John Egan, Mountain West ROC Association Director and Animas View MHP Co-op Member, was featured in a Scripps News report on January 27 about residents purchasing their communities. Animas View MHP Co-op appears in the second half of this
Commentary: Sen. Collins must support grant program for manufactured housing communities
Margaret Jones, president of the board of directors at Mountainside Community Co-op in Camden, Maine, authors a guest commentary piece urging her elected leader to support the PRICE program. She writes: PRICE is a $500 million grant program
Pew: Lenders Deny More Than Half of Loan Applications for the Purchase of Manufactured Homes
Manufactured homes, which the Biden administration has described as a “vital source of affordable housing,” make up about 10% of new single-family home starts in the U.S. annually. These modern versions of mobile homes are built to robust
Manufactured Housing Industry News
Seven Days: Upward Mobility: With Housing in Short Supply, Mobile Home Parks Are Having a Moment. For Good Reasons, It Turns Out.
Lots at Williston Woods mobile home park are a coveted prize. Realtors contact homeowners directly to ask if they’re thinking of selling, and people routinely drive through the secluded hilltop community hoping to spot homes for sale. Spacious double-wide
Vice News: America’s Last Affordable Housing is Under Threat
Across the US, corporate buyers are purchasing mobile home parks and driving up rents for those on the brink of being homeless. VICE News went to Fresno, California, where one such company is attempting to buy a park
The Boston Globe: On Cape Cod, a band of mobile home owners fight for their park: ‘The vultures want it! But they’re not going to get it’
Investors nationwide of buying up mobile home parks from mom-and-pop operators. Tenants often suffer.
The Washington Post: How a group of moms turned a Virginia trailer park into a village
To spend time with the moms is to see: Alone, some could find themselves drowning. But together, they’ve been able to do more than tread water.
OUR EXPERTS
The ROC USA Staff and members of the Board of Directors are experts and innovators in the manufactured housing space. If you are interested in interviewing someone listed below, please contact Mike Bullard.
Paul Bradley
President
Paul Bradley founded ROC USA in 2008 with three LLC Members, a national sponsor, and nine Network affiliates. Paul has more than 30 years of experience in community organizing, training, project management and financing in the resident-owned community market niche.
Mary O'Hara
Executive Vice President, ROC Movement
Mary O’Hara supports ROC USA’s strategic priority to ensure our historic work in community-driven change in neighborhoods is reflected (and magnified) in statewide and national change efforts. Mary supports co-op leaders and Members who are driving the national ROC movement through outreach and education, peer networking, and public policy.
Michael Sloss
Managing Director,
ROC USA® Capital
Michael Sloss is responsible for directing all of ROC USA® Capital’s key business functions, including: capitalization, loan origination and closing, loan servicing and portfolio management. Michael has presided over ROC USA Capital since 2008 and is responsible for all lending, capital raising and portfolio management activities.
BRAND KIT
ROC USA logos are available for download as jpegs. If you would like a different version, please contact Mike Bullard.
PHOTOS
ROC USA is pleased to offer this collection of stock photos for your use. Please credit ROC USA when using. Information about each photo is available in greater detail by hovering over the photo.
