Housing advocates, municipal and business leaders from across the region and state agency representatives from both New Hampshire and Vermont attended a tour of three resident-owned manufactured home communities to hear first-hand from residents about what makes ROCs one of the most successful affordable housing options available. Check out these videos from Mascoma Meadows Cooperative in Lebanon, Mascoma Valley Cooperative in Canaan, and Pleasant Valley Estates Cooperative in Claremont.
While the residents’ experiences in these videos speak directly to the success of their individual parks, the data on ROCs also reflect the general success of ROCs as an affordable housing model. According to NH Housing and the NH Community Loan Fund, Manufactured homes are the most affordable housing option in NH today, with the average mortgage and lot rent of a manufactured home in a resident-owned community clocking in at just under $1300/month (the average rental in the state is approximately $1500/month while the average mortgage on a conventional single-family home is nearing $2000/month).
This great affordable housing solution is currently being under-utilized, however. According to the New Hampshire Zoning Atlas, only 9.9% of developable land is currently zoned for manufactured housing. Much of that land is likely already being utilized for manufactured home parks. Moreover, existing parks are being bought up by real estate speculators that are jacking up lot rents and threatening the long-term affordability of manufactured housing. Luckily, ROC-NH and the NH Community Loan Fund provide loans, training, and technical assistance to help residents own their parks, keep lot rents low, and invest in their communities. Learn more about ROC-NH here.