Editor’s note: One of the interviews for this story was conducted in Spanish and translated into English.
“At Habitat, we seek to make this a place where everyone can find a decent place to live,” said Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville President and CEO, Dan Rosensweig.
For the past two decades, the organization has made it a priority to create mixed-income communities by building affordable housing in existing neighborhoods as well as brand-new neighborhoods made up of low-income and market rate homes.
“We were really one of the pioneers of mixed-income development,” said Rosensweig. “A lot of people thought it wouldn't work. They thought that market rate homeowners wouldn't look to buy in a neighborhood that was mixed. They felt like the financing was going to be too challenging. But, in reality — although it's been hard, it’s worked.”
Why is the organization dedicated to creating mixed-income communities?
“We have now built or built [within] fourteen different mixed-income communities in this neighborhood [the Charlottesville area],” said Rosensweig, “and we're proving one by one these communities are much better and more durable when people from all walks of life are able to live together and share in a common destiny.”
The redevelopment of the Southwood Mobile Home Park — Habitat’s largest mixed-income project — is an example of its groundbreaking work in trailer park transformation without displacement. The organization hopes it will also serve as a national model for neighborhood–driven redevelopment.
Located on more than 120 acres, Southwood was originally home to 317 families who were facing the possibility of displacement if the park was sold to a developer.
“This is truly a national emergency,” said Rosensweig. “There are 19 million people in the United States who live in trailers, but they don't have the right to the land underneath their trailer. So, what happens when a mobile home park is sold? Well, either the new landlord comes in and jacks up rents, or they change the land use and turn it into something else, luxury housing, and the people who live there are in real, real bad shape, because their trailers don't move. And even if they did move, there's no place to go.”
Habitat purchased Southwood in 2007. The mobile home park’s residents then partnered with the organization for many years to improve their financial conditions, secure housing tenure and design their new community — including residences, roads and green spaces. Habitat currently serves as the nonprofit owner, developer and property manager of the park, with a long-term goal of turning over ownership to the residents.
Village 1 — Southwood’s first new neighborhood — is now complete, and Village 2 is well underway. By the end of the project, the new community will consist of more than a thousand residences — including Habitat homes, affordable rentals and market rate housing.
Roger Torres lives in Village 1. He has lived in Southwood for twenty years and helped to design his new neighborhood.
“For me, having participated in the planning of the community where I live makes me very proud,” said Torres, “because it is the legacy that will be left to my grandchildren, to my children and to all the new generation that comes after all of us, the neighbors.”
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville’s website provides additional information about the organization’s mission, vision and projects.
Terri Allard serves on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville.
