12/12/2023 0 Comments Haven park management utahHoven says affordable housing is in the public interest and says he’ll push for a law allowing residents, as a co-operative, to purchase their community. “It’s a type of thing that really gives capitalism a bad name,” said MT State Senator Brian Hoven, R-Great Falls. The group also asked Enterprise to send Havenpark a letter demanding support for justified rent increases, fair evictions, and residents’ ability to buy their own communities.Ĭindy says the Enterprise CEO told them they should work on passing legislation. “We just let them know you’ve got a fox in the henhouse and they’re going against everything you stand for,” said Newman. Weiss told MTN that nationwide, it’s standard practice among Manufactured Home Communities that utilities are paid by the person who uses them.Īlong with other concerned manufactured homeowners through a Zoom meeting, Cindy made an appeal to Enterprise Community Partners who through their subsidiary, Bellwether Enterprises, funds Havenpark and claims to be an affordable housing advocate. Weiss told MTN the company has found residents prefer paying for their own usage, rather than a hidden blanket fee added to the monthly rent. Havenpark says installing water meters is a common practice to monitor leaks and overuse. “The water meters they’ve installed are read by satellite and then sent to the office and then they charge us an additional administrative fee to bill us for the water we’ve always paid for in our lot rent,” said Newman. Cindy says customers are now helping foot the bill for water meters on properties. She says it's not just a massive rent increase adding to the bill, but extra fees. Havenpark also owns Countryside Village in Great Falls as well as communities in Billings and Kalispell.Ĭindy says Havenpark’s Treasure State footprint affects more than 1,400 Montanans. He says once the community reaches that point, they would expect any additional annual increases would stay in line with the greater area, and thus any increase will seem less impactful to residents dollar-wise. Weiss went on to say the company’s eventual long-term goal is to get prices in line with normal market rates of comparable properties within the greater area. He says those types of community improvement projects boost the value of residents’ homes since the community where the homes are located is now nicer, with better amenities, landscaping, and infrastructure. Weiss added that Havenpark also invested in and completed around $400,000 worth of tree work, road work, and general landscaping within the past year. He said there has been no rent increase during the second year, but residents are now paying $8 a month for garbage removal as well as extra for water and sewer depending on usage. Weiss said for years rent fees at the Highwoods have been far below comparable communities and that when Haven Park took over, they did raise the monthly rent by $47. Weiss added that the company must account for the significant costs of providing professional management, capital improvements, rising fixed costs such as property taxes, payroll, insurance, maintenance, and other operating costs. Havenpark did not want to be interviewed on camera for this story, but spokesperson Josh Weiss told MTN communities like the Highwoods are “market rent” properties and rents are based on other housing options nearby, typically half that of a two-bedroom apartment in most markets. Cindy says paying $500 a month isn’t out of the question. “We know that’s inevitable because they have a four-year track record in 10 other states.”Ĭindy says for comparison, rents were raised by just $117 dollars a month in the 20 years before Havenpark took over. “I’m expecting our increase to $450 any day,” said Newman. She doesn’t expect the increases to stop there. She says when Utah based Havenpark Capital unknowingly came in last November and took over, her lot rent was $283 a month. “We don’t know if the next increase is going to force us out of our homes,” said Newman. And with the community under new ownership, she says residency for her and the other tenants, mostly senior citizens on fixed incomes, may be in jeopardy. Cindy Newman has lived in the Highwoods Manufactured Home Community for 20 years.
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