Breaking the Stigma on Manufactured Housing at Our Annual Meeting
Our Annual Meeting on November 5 was all about reducing the stigma around manufactured homes and coming together to create and preserve affordable housing in New Hampshire. Imagine owning a home at age 22 or paying one off at age 40. A panel of current and past mortgage and resident-owned community (ROC) borrowers who have done it spoke about their experiences living in manufactured-homes and how they’ve worked to make their communities thrive.
The panelists sharing their stories were: Amanda Sanchez, vice president of Plainfield Village Cooperative in Plainfield; Andrew Moore, treasurer of Tamworth Pines Cooperative in Tamworth; and Guy Pichette (pictured above holding microphone), treasurer of Cotton Farm Village Cooperative in Danville, the newest of our 152 ROCs.
President & CEO Steve Saltzman presented the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund's inaugural Community Champion Award to Senator Kevin Avard.
Senator Avard's dedication to lower the cost of housing and support resident-owned communities made him an easy choice to be our first-ever recipient. This year, he introduced legislation — which has since been signed into law — to cut costly red-tape for resident-owned communities and other consumer cooperatives. We expect this new law to save communities $10,000 per year, allowing them to do what they do best, keep housing affordable for the homeowners who live there.
Senator Avard couldn’t attend the event but we were honored to have Senate President Sharon Carson join us to present and accept the award on his behalf.
“I’m honored to receive the Community Champion Award," Senator Avard said in a statement. "Families having access to safe housing that is affordable is a top priority. This term, I am focused on reducing property taxes and removing unnecessary regulations that limit home ownership for all constituents, especially those that are most vulnerable. Resident-owned communities are a key part of expanding housing in New Hampshire and I’m proud of the progress being made. Thank you to the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund for this recognition and for their ongoing efforts in ROC.”
Board Chair Jamie Richardson spoke about how we can expand opportunity and strengthen community this year, next year, and beyond.
“Now, more than ever, it’s up to all of us to build solutions that last,” he said. “The Community Loan Fund is about meeting these challenges head-on — with creativity, compassion, and a belief that when one community member thrives, we all do.
"Share our stories. Tell your neighbors what’s possible when we invest in each other. Because when we choose to invest in our community, we're not just making a financial decision. We’re making a difference right here in New Hampshire.”