> Located in Brattleboro, Vermont
> Vermont’s largest mobile home community
> Cooperative, resident owned
> Grants, tax credits, debt, and federal earmark
> Almost 1,000 residents
> Vulnerable populations
The Tri-Park Housing Cooperative is Vermont’s largest mobile home community and is entirely resident-owned. Its residents and finances have suffered tremendously from recurring flood damage. In 2011, Tropical Storm Irene destroyed numerous homes and homesites.
Almost fifteen years after formally agreeing to vacate certain homesites within the floodway and subsequently completing a Master Plan to assess its current condition, Tri-Park hired M&S Development. Tri-Park charged M&S with conducting a feasibility study to chart the physical and financial path toward safety and stability.
M&S developed a schedule of capital investments to address the community’s most urgent needs (new sewer systems, replacement bridges, relocation of 33 residents outside of the floodway) as well as longer-term capital planning requirements. M&S created this plan without relying on a significant increase in lot rents for the residents, the majority of whom are low- and medium-income, vulnerable populations. M&S worked with Tri-Park’s Board and almost 1,000-strong resident population to develop its plans and communications.
Funding sources and project partners include numerous State of Vermont agencies, public and private financing, tax credits, public utilities rebates, Congressionally Directed Spending, and others.