Novato mobile home park residents win reprieve from proposed sale of property
A group of seniors in Novato have scored a major win after months of an emotional rollercoaster over whether the city could sell their beloved mobile home park to offset the city's financial challenges.
The 400 residents of the Marin Valley Mobile Country Club - one of the last remaining affordable housing communities for seniors in the county - spent their summer pleading with the city to not sell the city-owned property worth millions. But their tears of fear have now turned to tears of joy as they celebrated Wednesday a city council ruling to not sell.
"WE DID IT!" was the subject line of an email I received from one of the residents, their excitement jumping through the virtual note.
Carol Joy Harris has lived in the park for over a decade and calls it her slice of paradise. She says she's one of many who plan to live out their days on the property.
"I have always said they're gonna take me out of here by my boot heels," she told CBS News Bay Area.
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It's the sense of community, she says, that makes the neighborhood so special. They consider the land an unofficial "blue zone," where people live longer than average.
"I do think it's the reverse of loneliness here. If someone is not seen by their neighbors for a couple of days 'Hey, it's so-and-so, how are you doing?'" Harris explained, making a phone gesture with her hands.
In June, residents got wind of a potential sale of the property that would put $30 million back into the pockets of the city of Novato. The city argued the park had been a financial strain but financial documents provided by the park showed they had been self-sufficient for years.
The potential sale sparked an emotional response from residents who have found their final homes in the community.
"It's family. I get choked up," said a low-income resident. "It's the most wonderful place I've ever lived in my life."
At a city council meeting earlier this summer, residents came in waves to oppose a bid from a mobile home management company to purchase the land. The company vowed to not increase rent for current tenants.
"Under our management, that community will remain a mobile home park and will remain one of the most affordable housing choices in Marin. We do not buy communities on the backs of our residents," said Dean Moser, President of HCA Management Company.
But it wasn't enough to convince residents that their affordable housing would remain.
"I want to say to the residents here that we've had a cool run so far," Harris said. "Nobody can shake our sense of community from us."
That sense of community was strong at an August 22 city council meeting where residents demanded the city keep an unofficial promise to allow residents to own the land after a bond is paid in full next year.
After a closed city council meeting the group said it "has decided not to pursue the offer from HCA to purchase Marin Valley Mobile Country Club. As identified in the City's Strategic Plan, the City Council has identified Marin Valley Mobile Country Club as a strategic priority and will continue to address the management, oversight, and financial conditions in the coming months."
For now, ownership of the park is their next fight. On Wednesday night, they celebrated with pizza and dancing, knowing they fought and won to keep their homes.