Campton park is state's 145th resident-owned community
by Steve Varnum
on December 8, 2022
Homeowners in Foothills Estates MHP in Campton have purchased their 94-unit manufactured-home park, making it New Hampshire’s 145th resident-owned community (ROC).
Using training and technical assistance from the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund’s ROC-NH™ team, homeowners organized and formed Two Rivers Mobile Home Community Cooperative in early May. The cooperative negotiated with the park’s owner, Mike Burnham, reached a $4-million price, and finalized the deal on August 31, 2022 with a mortgage from the Community Loan Fund.
Two Rivers co-op is Grafton County’s 16th ROC. Those communities contain 571 affordable homes.
Two Rivers Mobile Home Community Cooperative Secretary Sue Ann Desrochers and Treasurer Heidi Brown.
Two Rivers board secretary Sue Ann Desrochers and treasurer Heidi Brown were involved in the process from the very beginning.
After the final document was signed, Desrochers said, “I just can’t believe we did it! I can’t tell you how good it feels to be able to walk down by the river behind my house and know that whatever happens from here on out, at least we have a say.”
Both women said the process of deciding whether to purchase their park, then doing it, has brought the community together. They now know more of their neighbors on a first-name basis.
“It feels like we’ve all pulled together and it’s nice knowing that people are looking out for each other,” said Brown. Desrochers agreed, adding that she had met more of her neighbors in the past three months than in the rest of her time in the park.
For 39 years, the Community Loan Fund has worked in towns and cities across N.H. to connect people, families and business owners with the loans, training, and advice that allow them to have affordable homes, secure jobs and quality child care, and become more economically stable.
The more than 8,800 homeowners in N.H.’s ROCs have access to fair home financing, as well as management guidance and an annual leadership training in which they earn college credit.