AN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Two Members of a Texas resident-owned community were featured on a panel discussion explaining the basics of manufactured housing Monday at a national conference for housing professionals.
Esthela Garza, president of Pasadena Trails ROC, and Paula Maldonado, a new Member there, spoke to a room of about 75 housing industry experts about the benefits of manufactured housing and especially resident ownership. The panel was part of the I’m Home convening, designed for housing industry experts looking to unlock the potential of manufactured housing, organized by CFED.
Garza said her community faced a variety of challenges before the residents purchased and took control of their neighborhood in 2009.
“Many of the residents were happy to live there, but now they participate in this community, too,” she said through a translator. “Our Members have responsibilities – they help out, they serve on the Board of Directors and committees, and it’s improving Pasadena Trails.”
Garza said since the homeowners bought the community, they have begun making a series of improvements that will boost the quality of life for the 96 homeowners and their families who live there.
“A big project we have going on now is to repave the roads and widen the entrances on both sides of the neighborhood,” she said. “It’s great because we’re now working on projects that we weren’t even able to plan for before we owned Pasadena Trails.
“We’re doing really well.”
Maldonado, who only recently moved with her daughter to Pasadena Trails from an apartment in Chicago, said the choice of a manufactured home was an easy one.
“This is totally different than apartment living, where you’re all crowded in with a bunch of people,” she said. “Manufactured housing is quiet, and there’s a lot of peace of mind.”
The panel moderator asked her how she came to choose a manufactured home when she moved.
“I like it because it’s a medium size and that seems to fit the lifestyle that I like,” Maldonado said, adding that her home’s spot in Pasadena Trails gives it a homey, neighborly feel. “I’m planning to stay here for a long time.”
