Apac Vista Tenant Organizer (Housing Stipend Provided)

Based in St. Paul, All Parks Alliance for Change (APAC) uses community organizing and advocacy to promote social change and social justice for some of Minnesota’s most marginalized low-income individuals and families. APAC has organized since 1980 to create a movement of powerful resident leaders who advance their vision for justice in manufactured home parks. APAC works with residents to identify community issues, unite neighbors around a common vision, and develop powerful leaders who can influence decision makers, set the agenda, and win real changes for their community. The VISTA will work closely with APAC staff and residents to learn about important issues affecting marginalized, low-income Minnesotans, and connect with other individuals, organizations, and policy makers who are key players in those issue areas. Manufactured homes are highly affordable but, for those located in parks, also a very vulnerable housing situation since individuals own their homes, but only rent the land, which can be sold and closed for redevelopment. In addition, as detailed by an APAC policy report (“Racial Disparities in Manufactured Home Parks: Latinos’ Experiences in Minnesota”), people of color are particularly vulnerable. They are 13% of the park population, but 54 percent of those displaced by park closings; with 38% being Latino. A solution to the problem is conversion to resident-ownership through a resident-owned cooperative, land trust, or nonprofit. Responding to the threat of closure and facilitating a resident purchase requires monitoring the risk of closure, developing a set of preservation partners, and training and developing resident leaders.