Bangor mobile home park residents reflect on changes a year after purchase.

A year after residents purchased the 129‑lot Cedar Falls Mobile Home Park in Bangor, they report new amenities, a stronger sense of community and protections against corporate rent hikes after raising $8 million to buy the park.

Residents of Cedar Falls Mobile Home Park in Bangor are marking the first year since they purchased the 129‑lot park and formed a cooperative. They say the neighborhood has seen small improvements such as a community garden, a bulletin board and a bus shelter, and that the purchase gave them greater control over future changes. The acquisition followed a July 2023 state law that gives residents a right of first refusal and a fundraising effort that raised $8 million to buy the park. Cooperative leaders say the move helped them avoid a corporate takeover and the steeper rent increases that often follow such sales. What is known: - Residents formed a cooperative and bought the 129‑lot Cedar Falls Mobile Home Park after raising $8 million to complete the purchase. - Funding included $1.1 million from MaineHousing and $500,000 from the city of Bangor, with additional support from local and regional loan and development funds. - A state law signed in July 2023 requires park owners to offer residents the right of first refusal when a park is put up for sale. - The cooperative raised lot rent by $100 to $550 per month after the purchase, which residents say remains lower than many other local rental options. - Park residents own their homes but pay rent for the land and are responsible for utilities and lot maintenance. - The cooperative has about 80 buildable lots and plans a five‑year development program, beginning with adding homes on 28 lots through BangorHousing. Summary: Residents report an increase in community amenities and a stronger sense of collective ownership in the year since the purchase. The cooperative is planning to develop portions of the park’s available lots, starting with 28 homes through BangorHousing, which is expected to add low‑ and moderate‑income housing and to generate revenue for the cooperative as it works to manage infrastructure and long‑term maintenance.