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APAC Merging With Housing Justice Center MN

Dear APAC partners, clients, employees, funders, and stakeholders,

Over the last year, the APAC board of directors has been assessing and evaluating the vision and mission of APAC and the future of APAC and its contribution to the manufacturing home park community.

We, the APAC Board of Directors, acknowledge the contribution that APAC and its staff have made to the manufactured home park community over the past 30 years. After evaluating the options, the Board decided to search for a strategic partner to merge with.

After searching, we are pleased to announce that APAC’s board has decided to merge with the Housing Justic Center.

We thank all of you for your past support and dedication to All Park’s Alliance for Change and look forward to your continued support and involvement with the Housing Justice Center.

Please contact the Housing Justice Center at 612-807-1139 for immediate assistance or visit www.hjcmn.org

Sincerely

All Parks Alliance for Change Board of Directors




Mission

All Parks Alliance for Change is the statewide organization for Minnesota’s 180,000 manufactured home park residents. As the only organization in the state focused on manufactured housing, APAC is critical to providing an effective voice for manufactured home owners to express their needs and concerns in their parks and in the larger community. Through education, grassroots organizing, and leadership development, APAC works to improve the quality of life in park neighborhoods, to protect the rights of park residents, to advance public policy change that supports safe, affordable, dignified, and stable park communities, and to preserve these vital units of affordable housing.

History

Originally known as the Anoka People’s Alliance for Change, APAC was founded in 1980 by a group of park residents from the city of Blaine, who worked to eliminate no-cause evictions, and to create new storm shelter standards. These efforts eventually lead to the establishment of a special section of state law for manufactured home parks (Minnesota Statute 327C), providing numerous resident rights and protections. During the 1980s, APAC gradually expanded its focus beyond Anoka County to park residents across the seven-county metro area. In 1989, the organization changed its named to “All Parks Alliance for Change,” and in 1994, expanded its focus statewide.

Democratic Structure

APAC is led by manufactured home park residents who determine the focus and direction of the organization. Within park communities, APAC works with residents through resident associations that we help them to establish. Residents can also form APAC chapters, which is a group of APAC members from the same manufactured home park or city who join together to affirm and support our mission. APAC's board of directors is comprised entirely of residents, which sets APAC's programmatic agenda, annual and strategic plans, annual budget, and organizational policies, and hire and review the executive director.

More detailed information is available in APAC's Bylaws.

Programs

As the only organization of its kind in Minnesota, we believe our work is vital to protecting and promoting residents’ rights. APAC has several unique programs for park residents:

  • Resident Education - APAC runs a toll-free tenant hotline, conducts educational workshops and produces consumer guides.
  • Leadership Development - APAC forms resident associations, provides leadership training and recruits leaders to serve on our board.
  • Community Organizing - APAC works with residents on community organizing efforts to improve the quality of life in park neighborhoods and protect the rights of park residents.
  • Tenant Advocacy - APAC works with homeowners to ensure that they are aware of and able to stand up for their legal rights.
  • Community Preservation - APAC works with homeowners to preserve their communities through a nonprofit developer or a resident-owned cooperative.
  • Racial Justice - APAC responds to race-based differences in treatment or conditions, such as residency denial, steering towards less desirable housing and park closings.
  • Public Policy - APAC promotes local and state policy change and serves as watchdog at the State Capitol.

Accomplishments

There is a detailed timeline of APAC's accomplishments, but a few highlights include:

  • Since 1982, APAC built up a special section of state law for manufactured home parks, including eliminating no cause eviction, preventing retaliatory eviction, and establishing storm shelter standards.
  • Since 1987, APAC has organized with park residents to pass ordinances to guarantee relocation compensation in the event of a park closing in 21 cities (from Rochester to Bloomington to Brainerd), which eventually led to the creation of the Minnesota Manufactured Home Trust Fund by legislative action in 2007.
  • Since 1991, APAC has worked to preserve communities first by forming the Northstar State Community Land Trust and lobbying to create a right of first refusal (ROFR) to allow residents to buy their park if it is being sold for redevelopment. Since 2002, APAC has partnered with Northcountry Cooperative Foundation, which has resulted in 10 park cooperatives, with others in development. In 2019, APAC lobbied to make the ROFR stronger.
  • In 2006, APAC worked with the Northwest Area Foundation, Housing Preservation Project, and Twin Cities Public Television to increase public awareness of the threats to parks through the Emmy-nominated documentary, “American Dream Under Fire: Manufactured Home Park Residents Fight to Hold Ground.”

Recognition

APAC’s work has been recognized on a number of occasions:

  • 1989 - APAC received a Certificate of Commendation from Governor Rudy Perpich for “outstanding service” to our community.
  • 1993 - The organization received the Nonprofit Mission Award from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.
  • Mid-1990s - APAC was the recipient of the Leo C. Byrne Social Justice Award, given by the Christian Sharing Fund for success in “achieving dignity for people.”
  • 2002 - APAC received an award of recognition from the Otto Bremer Foundation for our “community contributions.”
  • 2006 - APAC’s work “to improve the quality of life in park neighborhoods, to protect their rights, to advance changes that support safe, affordable, and stable park communities, and to preserve these vital units of affordable housing” was recognized by Governor Tim Pawlenty in a proclamation declaring September 24-30 “Manufactured Home Park Week.”
  • 2007 - APAC was honored by the Headwaters Foundation for Justice with the Allies for Justice Award.
  • 2016 - Governor Mark Dayton recognized APAC’s 35th Anniversary by issuing a proclamation declaring October 22, 2016 to be “All Parks Alliance for Change Day” in Minnesota.

More information is available in our 25th Anniversary Book, 30th Anniversary Book, and 35th Anniversary Book.