As a long-time resident of Sunny Acres and President of “Our Sunny Acres Association” (HOA), I am writing with deep concern and urgency for action to help keep our homes.
Sunny Acres is home to many elderly, retirees on fixed incomes, veterans, working families, and people with disabilities — all of whom have found stability and dignity in this unique form of affordable housing. We own our homes, pay taxes and pay a monthly site fee that covers essential services such as trash removal, water, septic maintenance, and road upkeep. Manufactured housing has long carried a stigma, but it is one of the last truly affordable options in today’s housing crisis and we feel grateful to be on Aquidneck Island, where housing costs are escalating rapidly. Our housing community offers a rare alternative for people simply seeking a decent, safe place to live.
On May 12, 2025, residents of Sunny Acres Mobile Home Park were stunned to receive a certified letter announcing that the park was being sold to a large corporation, Crown Communities. We quickly learned about our legal rights under Rhode Island General Law § 34-18.39-3, which grants residents the Right of First Refusal (ROFR) – a vital safeguard meant to empower residents to form an association to purchase the park before it’s sold to an outside party.
We have partnered with the Cooperative Development Institute (CDI), a nonprofit organization that has helped numerous communities in New England successfully become resident-owned.
“Resident ownership is a proven path to housing stability and community empowerment,” said Nora Grosslin of CDI. “We are proud to support Sunny Acres and urge all parties involved to respect the process and uphold the law.”
With CDI’s expert guidance, the HOA is ready to assume ownership responsibly and democratically. This model empowers every HOA member to have a voice in decisions impacting our future, reinvest profits back into our community, receive fair treatment, and transparency.
Understanding this once in a lifetime opportunity, truly a “gift”, our dedicated HOA board immediately took action to inform the residents with facts, gathered the necessary 51% of resident signatures, and submitted a legally binding Purchase and Sale Agreement by the state-mandated deadline on June 26, 2025. By doing so, we officially exercised our right to purchase the park and take steps towards a resident-owned community (ROC).
However, as of today, July 22, 2025— nearly four weeks later—we have yet to receive a response from the seller. Each passing day delays critical steps, including submitting our deposit, initiating due diligence and satisfying the mortgage contingency in a rising interest rate environment.
Crown Communities, the proposed buyer, is part of a growing trend of institutional investors acquiring mobile home parks, which are considered high-yield assets, up to 22%. While this may make financial sense for investors, it often comes at a high cost to residents — including rent hikes, profit driven decisions, and in some cases, eventual displacement. Crown’s current proposal only ensures the land will remain a mobile home park for only five years. After that, our future becomes uncertain.
In a state like Rhode Island — where there are no rent caps or relocation protections in place — this creates deep vulnerability. Moving a mobile home can cost $15,000–$25,000, and many homes are too old to survive relocation or cannot legally be moved to another place due to zoning restrictions. The state’s current relocation assistance of $4,000 is woefully insufficient.
This isn’t just about land or homes — it’s about people. It’s about preserving affordability, community, dignity and protecting their investments, as they age in longer duration in parks than most home owners elsewhere.
We are calling on:
● Public officials to support our legal rights and housing stability; ● Private investors and philanthropic partners to help us close the financial gap needed to meet our mortgage contingency. ● The broader public to raise awareness and stand in solidarity with our vision.
Cooperative ownership is not a dream — it’s a proven solution. Communities across the country are making this transition successfully, ensuring that homes remain affordable for generations to come.
We recognize and respect the right of each property owner to make the best decision for themselves. Unfortunately the spread of disinformation only escalates the existing feelings of overwhelm, confusion, fear and paralysis. We encourage each home owner to reach out to a friend or loved one to help them navigate the process for their highest and best interests.
We understand that the owners selling to an investor can be an attractive option. However, we believe that supporting cooperative ownership in cases like this can be a win-win — one that provides a fair exit for sellers, while preserving community and long term affordability for the residents.
All we ask is for a fair chance — the same chance the law provides us.
For more information or to support Our Sunny Acres Association, please email
Sharlene Patton
President, Our Sunny Acres (HOA)
