In the coming months, Rights & Democracy is embarking on an ambitious project to organize around the wide range of issues of residents in manufactured home communities in New Hampshire and Vermont.
One of our goals is to identify, develop, and support leaders from these communities in order to help them effect public policy changes at the state and federal level—from home ownership to broader social and political challenges that have kept folks disengaged and disenfranchised.
One of the major issues facing manufactured housing communities around the country is the predatory practice of billionaire-run hedge funds buying up these communities.
According to a report from MHAction, a growing national movement of manufactured home community residents, “Many of the largest private equity and real estate investors in the world, managing more than $1.77 trillion in assets, have bought up manufactured home communities at a rapid pace and raised rents and fees sharply, posing a dramatic new threat to the economic security of millions of seniors, people with disabilities, families, and immigrants in need of low-cost housing.”
This MH Action report was the focus of a Last Week Tonight episode just last year. Watch the full episode, if for nothing more than John Oliver’s brilliant analysis and British accent.
While our work will focus on this predatory practice by hedge fund owners, and all private owners, we will also focus on broader issues such as health care, housing rights. as well as economic and environmental justice.
Once again, here is the link to that form for you to fill out, or send it along to someone who you think would be interested. One of our organizers will follow up with a phone call or email to get more information.
PS: Here are a list of COVID-19 resources and information for everyone in Vermont
PPS: Here is our open letter to Gov. Phil Scott to ensure that every Vermonter gets what they need in this dire time. Please add your name!