Resident-owned communities help keep manufactured-home owners stably and affordably housed by putting them in charge. In New Hampshire, 151 parks have converted to resident ownership, preserving nearly 9,000 affordable homes. Incentives for park owners to sell to their residents help reinforce and expand this successful model. 

We support the Manufactured Housing Community Sustainability Act, which would  provide park owners an incentive in the form of a tax credit worth 75 percent of the capital gains they receive from the sale of their community if they sell to their residents. This bill would further support long-term housing affordability and stability by requiring that the park remain resident-owned for at least 50 years.

The New Hampshire Community Loan Fund is one of more than 1,400 U.S. Dept. of Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). CDFIs like us are designed to provide lending to enhance communities and to further economic opportunity for all. 

• The CDFI Fund provides federal funding, which CDFIs then effectively leverage with private capital - to support the work CDFIs do in providing financing where it is needed most.
• For every $1 in federal support provided, CDFIs leverage more than $12 in private capital.
• We will continue advocacy efforts to preserve the CDFI Fund and continually monitor efforts that may harm its ability to function. 

Under current law (RSA 205-A), manufactured-home park owners are required to provide residents with 60 days’ notice of their intent to sell the park. This law also requires that the park seller negotiate in “good faith” with the tenants of the park for their potential purchase. This law helps support residents who want to purchase their park, however there is room for improvement. 

• We will support legislation which strengthens the 60-day notice as well as defend the existing law from any efforts to undermine it. 

We are happy to continue collaboration with state and federal legislation to reduce barriers to creating new opportunities for the placement of manufactured-home communities in N.H. This includes HB 685, from Representative Joe Alexander, a bill permitting manufactured housing by right in all residentially zoned areas. We testified in support of this legislation are were excited to see it pass the House this spring. We will continue our advocacy efforts with the aim of getting this bill signed into law. 

We are committed to ensuring that resident-owned communities are stable and affordable for years to come. We support policy and advocacy efforts that keep ROC operating costs low, reduce unnecessary burden on ROCs, and help provide them with access to the financial products that they deserve including:  

• SB 165, a bill to increase the audit threshold for resident-owned communities and other consumer cooperative associations.  We are very thankful to Senator Avard for introducing this important legislation which will cut burdensome red tape and reduce cost for many communities.
• Increasing the financing options available for manufactured homes by using our first-hand experience providing fair, fixed-rate, 30-year mortgages for those homes.
• We work with regulators - particularly at the federal level – to better support and encourage manufactured-housing options.

We are working to increase awareness of manufactured homes as a key solution to N.H.’s housing crisis.  As part of these efforts we will: 

• Foster relationships with key lawmakers to educate them on the benefits of manufactured housing.
• Support homeowners in resident-owned communities (ROCs) who wish to tell their stories directly to their representatives.
• Collaborate with other advocacy groups to support additional efforts to increase access to affordable housing options.
• Seek opportunities to publicly promote manufactured housing, including during National Homeownership Month in June.