Deer Ridge Mobile Home Cooperative Secures Funding
Deer Ridge Mobile Home Cooperative becomes the 4th Resident Owned Community in Maine
AUGUSTA, February 10, 2015 - - The residents of Deer Ridge Mobile Home Park in Augusta recently secured funding support from the Genesis Community Loan Fund (www.genesisfund.org) in Damariscotta, Maine, to become the 4th Resident Owned Community in Maine. Aided in their purchase acquisition by assistance from the Cooperative Development Institute (www.cdi.coop) under the NEROC (New England Resident Owned Communities) program, the residents have engaged in extensive training and organizational development. Andy Danforth, NEROC Director, “The residents of Deer Ridge worked long and hard to gain possession of their community. We’re proud to assist in the process and in operating their community going forward. Deer Ridge joins over 160 proud ROC USA cooperatives throughout the country.” (www.rocusa.org)
The Deer Ridge Mobile Home Cooperative is home to 13 resident owners now, with room to expand. Infrastructure upgrades needed to accomplish these goals will be a challenge, but as board member and resident Beverly Chase said “We can actually do that as owners now and make it a better place to live.” And board member Donna Dennis said “We have processes and plans now, to deal with whatever issues come up.”
Deer Ridge joins two other communities under the technical assistance of CDI, Brunswick Bay Mobile Home Cooperative and the Medomak Mobile Home Cooperative in Waldoboro. The fourth resident owned community in Maine is Greystone in Veazie. The Genesis Community Loan Fund has provided financing in all four projects. Liza Fleming-Ives, Deputy Director at Genesis said “We are pleased to use the resources we have available to help residents of mobile home communities secure affordability and security in their housing. We truly enjoy the partnership we share with CDI as technical assistance providers, with Genesis providing the financing expertise, because it highlights our organizational strengths and provides comprehensive guidance to the residents as they move through the process.”
Jessica Pooley, technical assistant for the community, under NEROC/CDI shared, “I’m excited about the future for the Deer Ridge residents. Enjoying the benefits of homeownership is just the beginning. Now they are a resident-owned community, the cooperative will join RONA (Resident Owned Neighborhoods Association) of Maine (www.ronaofmaine.org) and will be enjoying the networking opportunities and workshops available for the community leaders, which will expand their resources and successes even more.”
(SOURCE: Press Release, 021015)
