Resident Led, Resident Owned Communities

Take control of your future through collective ownership.

We provide ongoing support and coaching to create successful cooperatives and sustain them for generations to come.

CoNorth helps residents of manufactured (mobile) home communities take control of their futures by helping residents cooperatively purchase and democratically manage their communities, preserving the affordability of their neighborhood and giving residents direct voice in how the community is run.

Coop Assistance

Meet Our Communities

CoNorth currently supports 17 communities and we work in tandem to support:

Community Stability

Owning the land in common means homeowners aren’t forced to move due to escalating lot rents or sale of the community for profit.

Affordable Land Rent

Cooperative ownership keeps lot rents lower than market rate in for profit manufactured home communities

Community Control

Community members elect their Board of Directors to ensure resident needs are prioritized, not profit. The Board appoints committees and hires a property manager to manage daily tasks and oversee the community's needs.

Accessible, Affordable Homes

CoNorth supported communities have access to durable, affordable, energy-efficient manufactured homes at affordable rates via our CoNorth Homes dealership. We collaborate with NeighborWorks Home Partners, an organization which provides home buyer counseling and financing tools to lower barriers to ownership.

Eviction Security

Members continue to own their own homes individually and own an equal share of the land beneath the entire neighborhood. They sign perpetual leases and enjoy lifetime security against unfair eviction.

Liability Protection

Members are not personally liable for loans made by the cooperative. Their only personal financial investment in the ROC is their Member share, which is typically $250-$500 and paid back when they move out.

Learn more about our individual communities here.

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New North Neighborhoods

CoNorth Loan Fund

About CoNorth

Coop Assistance

What is a ROC?

A cooperative corporation, owned and run by residents.

A resident-owned community (ROC) is a group of residents that have organized for the purpose of purchasing, owning, and operating their community. The organization takes the form of a cooperative corporation, owned and run by residents for the benefit of residents.

How it Works

The Cooperative Conversion Process

Every community presents a different set of circumstances, but in general, this is how the process works:

Feasibility and Purchase Negotiation

CoNorth confirms preliminary feasibility of converting the community to a cooperative by obtaining sales price expectation and operating information from the owner. CoNorth negotiates the terms of a purchase agreement.

Formation of Resident Corporation and Due Diligence

CoNorth assists residents with formation of the resident organization and organizing members. Members elect an Interim Board of Directors. CoNorth helps the Interim Board complete due diligence, organize their newly-incorporated business, and finance the purchase of the property.

Resident Purchase and Ongoing Support

The resident corporation buys the property from the owner. After the purchase, CoNorth provides on-going technical assistance and support to the resident organization.

Project Management Services

Locating and securing project funding and manages projects from start to finish.

In addition to our ongoing technical assistance contracts, CoNorth seeks funding and provides project management services to co-ops looking to complete community improvement projects. CoNorth helps co-ops locate and secure project funding and manages projects from start to finish, serving as the co-op’s representative throughout the project. Some of our recent projects include:

Zumbro Ridge Cooperative

Rochester, MN

$3,868,00 to improve water and sewer systems, road and sidewalk repairs, and storm sewer improvements.

Woodlawn Terrace Cooperative

Richfield, MN

$711,972 to replace and repair the deteriorated sewer system, repair roads impacted by the new sewer improvements, add individual water meters, and convert a site-built home to serve as a storm shelter for the residents.

Park Plaza Cooperative

Fridley, MN

$1,176,000 to repair the sewer lines, road work, lot preparation, fence construction and repair, and repairs to the electrical system to avoid blackouts and fires.

Bois de Sioux Mobile Home Park

Breckenridge, MN

$536,800 to replace water and sewer services, repair electrical service boxes, make street improvements, demolition of old garages, preparing vacant lots, and improving surface drainage

El Nuevo Amanecer Cooperative

Gaylord, MN

$1,199,258 to complete water and sewer system updates, electrical system improvements, road and sidewalk repair, and preparing vacant lots for new homes.

Hillcrest Community Cooperative

Clarks Grove, MN

$2,200,000 to replace an existing aging clay sewer system, improve water tile infrastructure in the community, alleviate roadway deterioration, and install water disconnects.

Emerald Pines Cooperative

Alexandria, MN

$1,074,207 to replace the water and sewer system, replace the private well for the community, repair the electrical system, repair and seal the roads, and prepare vacant lots for new homes. Emerald Pines Cooperative is currently converting from a traditional manufactured home community (formerly known as Viking City Mobile Home Park) to a resident-owned cooperative.

Cooperative Assistance

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We control our future.

Before becoming a cooperative, my neighbors and I lived under constant stress about what would happen to the community when the owner sold. Now, as a co-op, we can sleep easy at night knowing that we own it and we control our future.

Natividad
Park Plaza Cooperative, MN

To support our work, and co-op communities like Natividad’s, donate today.

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