Governor Mills Celebrates Purchase of Hidden Circle Mobile Home Park in Jay by Residents

Purchase is fourth to take place since passage of nation-leading mobile homeowner protections signed into law by Governor Mills 

Jay, MAINE – Governor Janet Mills tonight joined the residents of the Hidden Circle Mobile Home Park in Jay to celebrate their purchase of the mobile home park, which will ensure the land beneath their 31 homes will remain locally owned and affordable. 

In most cases, residents of mobile home parks own their home and pay rent for the lot on

which their home sits. In recent years, investors have purchased mobile home parks across Maine and the nation, frequently raising lot fees to increase profits.

In 2023, Governor Mills signed landmark “Opportunity to Purchase” legislation requiring mobile home park owners to provide advance notice to residents of their intent to sell, giving residents the chance to submit a competing offer. Last year, Governor Mills further strengthened those protections by signing legislation giving residents the right to match a third-party offer to purchase the park they live in, effectively giving residents the “first right of refusal” on any mobile home park sale. Hidden Circle’s purchase is the 14th of its kind in Maine, and the 4th since the passage of the nation-leading mobile homeowner protections enacted by Governor Mills.

“No one should lose their home to exploitative companies looking to make a profit, which is why I worked with the Legislature to pass and sign legislation that gives residents of mobile homes the first chance to buy the land they reside on before big companies can displace them,” said Governor Janet Mills. “Congratulations to the residents of Hidden Circle Mobile Home Park for taking their futures into their hands, becoming owners of this land, and working together to create a lasting foundation for their community for years to come.”

“It hasn’t been an easy process, but we never gave up” said Travis White, a resident of Hidden Circle Mobile Home Park and president of the cooperative’s volunteer board. “We had to purchase the park because the alternative could be worse. Someone could come in here and hike up the rents and eventually push people out of their homes. Now, people can feel financially safe and safe in their homes.”

Residents of Hidden Circle Mobile Home Park formed a cooperative last year with the support of the Cooperative Development Institute, a New England nonprofit that supports communities in making transitions to resident ownership. Financing for the purchase came from the Mobile Home Park Preservation Fund created by Governor Mills and administered by MaineHousing, the Brunswick-based Genesis Community Loan Fund, and generous donors of the Maine Community Foundation.

“Hidden Circle demonstrates what’s possible when residents, community organizations, and public partners work together to preserve affordable housing,” said Dan Brennan, MaineHousing Director. “The Mobile Home Park Preservation Fund was designed to help residents compete for ownership of the communities they call home, and today that investment is creating lasting benefits for families in Jay. Resident ownership not only protects affordability—it gives people a stronger voice in their future and helps ensure these communities remain stable and vibrant for generations to come.”

“The Hidden Circle residents demonstrated remarkable determination throughout this process,” said Nora Gosselin, Director of Resident Acquisitions at the Cooperative Development Institute. “From the very start — be it septic challenges or survey hurdles — they hung together and got it done.”

“Every successful resident-owned community strengthens this model and gives more mobile home community residents confidence that they can protect their homes. Genesis will continue working with partners across the state to expand this proven model, helping ensure stable, affordable homes for Maine families,” said Liza Fleming-Ives, Genesis executive director.

Earlier today, the Maine Office of Community Affairs launched the Manufactured Housing Community Data Dashboard, a new tool to provide information on licensed manufactured housing communities across the state. The dashboard will be updated annually and allow residents, policymakers, park owners, housing practitioners, and the general public to track, for the first time, annual lot increases at all Maine manufactured housing communities.