Neighbors helping neighbors — that’s what I picture when I think of Gorham and Scarborough. We are a district grounded in a strong foundation of community where we look out for one another and we take care of one another. I cherish these values and carry them with me every day in the Maine Senate.

This session, I joined my colleagues to address a significant threat facing many communities across Maine: the increasing presence of out-of-state private equity firms purchasing mobile home communities and subsequently raising rents.

LD 1145, which just went into effect, creates a right of first refusal for residents of mobile home park communities, allowing them the opportunity to form cooperatives and purchase the land their homes sit on before out-of-state corporations and investment firms buy up the property and increase costs in the midst of an historic housing crisis.

As we worked to pass this bill this spring, our neighbors at Friendly Village in Gorham were in the process of organizing a resident cooperative to purchase their park with an offer above asking price. Dawn Beaulieu, a resident of Gorham and board president of the cooperative, shared with the Legislature in June what passage of LD 1145 would mean to Friendly Village.

“Our livelihoods should not be in the hands of an out-of-state conglomerate that sees us not as a community, but as an investment,” Dawn said. “The legislation being considered here in Augusta will help us put our fate in our own hands.”

The bill was proposed as emergency legislation, meaning with two-thirds support in the House and Senate, it could go into effect immediately, providing Friendly Village with that right of first refusal.

Unfortunately, the bill failed to receive two-thirds support, meaning the law couldn’t go into effect until late September. In the time since that vote, Friendly Village Cooperative has made three separate offers to buy their park as the firm seeks to raise lot rents, which have all been rejected. Had we passed LD 1145 as emergency legislation, this very well could have been avoided.

Dawn and the Cooperative are now urging Gorham town officials to amend a local ordinance that would protect mobile home communities from steep and often unaffordable rent increases, and require park owners to perform necessary maintenance on the infrastructure. I share the Cooperative’s concerns and commend their forward-thinking to seek a municipal solution. Luckily, there is precedent for this type of action in Old Orchard Beach, Sanford and Waterville.

Maine is a special place to live, and we must ensure more families can afford to put down roots here. This is a collaborative effort and, while some legislators blocked relief that could have helped Friendly Village, I am encouraged by the Cooperative’s advocacy. When the Legislature reconvenes in January, my colleagues and I will continue working on legislation that is aimed at keeping Mainers secure in their housing, at all levels.

In the meantime, I will continue sharing our local perspective and unique challenges with my colleagues and stay engaged locally so please continue reaching out to me and my office.

You can email me directly at Stacy.Brenner@legislature.maine.gov or by calling the Senate Majority Office at (207) 287-1515.