Mobile home community celebrates becoming resident-owned [Video]

Residents of Linnhaven Mobile Home Park in Brunswick celebrated officially becoming a resident-owned community on Tuesday.The acquisition of the park was led by the Blueberry Fields Cooperative, a board made up of Linnhaven residents.In a first-of-its-kind acquisition, the group purchased the park directly from the previous owners for $26.3 million.The purchase makes Linnhaven the largest resident-owned mobile home community in the state.The co-op relied on several different lenders to make the acquisition possible.“M&T Bank financed us. Genesis Loan Fund financed us, we got a grant from the state,” said co-op board member Melissa McCarthy.Leading up to the purchase, some residents were worried that the high price of the acquisition would mean a steep increase in rent prices.However, the co-op says rent for residents is only expected to rise around $100, due in large part to them using a state grant specifically intended for mobile home communities.“This is a low-income community,” …