JAY — Residents of Hidden Circle Mobile Home Park in Jay have purchased the 31-home manufactured housing community for $1 million, placing the property under cooperative ownership.

The sale gives residents control of the land beneath their homes and makes Hidden Circle the first community to benefit from Maine’s strengthened right-of-first-refusal law, according to the Cooperative Development Institute.

Residents formed the Hidden Circle Residents Cooperative last year with assistance from the institute after the park was offered for sale. The seller accepted the cooperative’s offer in January, beginning the financing and due-diligence process that led to the completed purchase.

“It hasn’t been an easy process, but we never gave up,” said resident Travis White, president of the cooperative’s volunteer board.

White said residents believed they needed to purchase the park to prevent an outside buyer from sharply increasing lot rents and potentially forcing people from homes they own.

“Now, people can feel financially safe and safe in their homes,” he said.

Financing came from the Brunswick-based Genesis Community Loan Fund, MaineHousing’s Mobile Home Park Preservation Fund and donors to the Maine Community Foundation, according to the institute.

Maine’s strengthened right-of-first-refusal law took effect last October, giving residents a greater opportunity to organize and purchase their manufactured home communities when the properties are offered for sale.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include Travis White’s last name.

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