PRESS RELEASE — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The residents of three manufactured-home communities in New Hampshire recently celebrated the purchase of the land and infrastructure under their homes, securing their future security and affordability as resident-owned communities (ROCs). The acquisitions, which took place over the last month, increased the number of resident-owned communities in New Hampshire to 156, comprised of nearly 9,500 homes across the state.
“It feels secure,” said homeowner Donna Harkness, president of Iron Wheel Cooperative in Danville. “The biggest thing is the security of knowing what we have in store for us — if someone else had bought the park, who knows what would have happened.”
Financed with mortgages from the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund and its mission-aligned partners, including the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the $13 million in purchases were made possible by the Community Loan Fund’s neighbors-investing-in-neighbors model that turns donations and impact investor funds into loans and services for homeowners, ROCs, small businesses, farms, nonprofits, and communities.
The three new resident-owned communities in Plymouth, Danville, and Somersworth are corporations whose members — the homeowners — own and operate their community as a not-for-profit, with coaching from the Community Loan Fund’s ROC-NH program. Each home is individually owned, while the land and infrastructure under the homes is owned by the co-op. Residents have control over monthly lot fees, rules, infrastructure investments, and the long-term affordability of the community.
Affordability of 166 homes protected as part of resident-owned communities
Carpenter Park Cooperative in Plymouth is made up of 15 owner-occupied homes and one rental home. The community was sold by the heirs of the former owner, Bill Carpenter, who operated the park for decades. The homeowners chose to keep the Carpenter name as part of their cooperative in his honor.
Iron Wheel Cooperative in Danville — made up of 81 homes and five vacant lots — is a 55+ community. The residents successfully purchased the community after receiving a 60-day notice that the owner planned to sell the land and infrastructure under their homes to an out-of-state investment company. New Hampshire was the first state in the nation to pass the “opportunity to purchase” law in 1983. When a private owner of a manufactured-home community decides to sell the community, the residents have 60 days to come up with a matching offer.
Crystal Springs Cooperative in Somersworth — made up of 64 homes — was purchased by the residents in a negotiated sale after one unsuccessful attempt to purchase it in 2017. The all-ages community is located just a few miles from downtown Somersworth and the New Hampshire-Maine border.
“Manufactured homes are wealth-building assets that allow families to invest in homeownership and increase their financial security,” Community Loan Fund President & CEO Steve Saltzman said. “One-hundred and sixty-six of these homes across three communities are now locally owned and operated — and we’re proud to support these homeowners as they secure their future.”
“Resident ownership gives people a voice in their community’s future while preserving affordable housing and strengthening local leadership,” said Ben Amsden, who leads the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s housing and impact investing initiatives. “The Charitable Foundation is proud to partner with ROC-NH and the Community Loan Fund to support a model that creates lasting stability and opportunity for New Hampshire residents.”
Resident-owned communities with available space for new homes, like Iron Wheel Cooperative, can also receive financing and technical support from the Community Loan Fund to add and sell homes on their vacant lots. Infill increases the community’s income from monthly lot fees that can be put toward community improvements and financial sustainability.
Over the last five years, the Community Loan Fund has helped ROCs set and sell nearly 200 homes, adding much-needed affordable housing to the state’s housing supply.
The Community Loan Fund got its start in 1983 when it connected impact investors with manufactured homeowners in Meredith. Together, we created the Meredith Center Cooperative — New Hampshire’s first resident-owned community (ROC). It quickly became a model for stabilizing manufactured housing affordability nationwide. Since then, the Community Loan Fund has helped borrowers purchase or preserve nearly 9,500 affordable manufactured homes and provides coaching and guidance loan services that help borrowers successfully navigate repayment.
A complete list of ROCs in New Hampshire is available at https://communityloanfund.org/resources/list-of-nh-resident-owned-communities.
Resident-owned communities at a glance:
Name: Carpenter Park Cooperative
Location: Plymouth, N.H.
County: Grafton
Number of homes: 16
ROC: 154th in N.H.
Name: Iron Wheel Cooperative
Location: Danville, N.H.
County: Rockingham
Number of homes: 81
ROC: 155th in N.H.
Name: Crystal Springs Cooperative
Location: Somersworth, N.H.
County: Strafford
Number of homes: 64
ROC: 156th in N.H.
About the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund:
The New Hampshire Community Loan Fund provides people and communities with the financial, human, and civic resources they need to be economically secure. We offer loans, coaching, and guidance to people, businesses, nonprofits, and communities to enable them to own and preserve affordable homes, grow small businesses, access cost-saving energy solutions, and provide strong community services.
About the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation:
The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, New Hampshire’s statewide community foundation, is dedicated to making New Hampshire a more just, sustainable and vibrant community where everyone can thrive. We are the place where generosity meets the dedication and ingenuity of nonprofits and the potential of New Hampshire students. For six decades, thousands of people have entrusted their charitable resources to the Foundation, creating a perpetual source of philanthropic capital and making it possible for the Foundation to award more than $80 million in grants and scholarships every year. For more information, please visit www.nhcf.org or call 603-225-6641.