By Rob Seal / Daily Progress staff writer
May 3, 2006
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The local chapter of Habitat for Humanity plans to purchase and redevelop a 100-acre trailer park in Albemarle County, officials announced Tuesday.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville has a contract to buy Southwood Mobile Home Estates, which is home to 371 trailers.

Specific plans have yet to be developed, but the idea is to turn the trailer park into a “mixed-income” community featuring some combination of houses, townhouses, condominiums, apartments and businesses, said Overton McGehee, executive director of Habitat’s local branch.

Southwood would be the second area trailer park Habitat has purchased; it bought the 2-acre Sunrise Trailer Court for $1 million in February 2005 and announced similar redevelopment plans.

Sunrise is still in the design phase, but the idea in both developments is to replace the trailers with other housing without displacing the residents, McGehee said.

The reaction of Southwood residents Tuesday ranged from cautious optimism to concern over the price of any new housing.

Standing behind a desk in the Southwood office building Tuesday afternoon, Scott Minor distributed copies of a letter from Habitat to Southwood residents as they came in to pay the monthly rent.

Minor is the vice president of the trailer park, and his family has owned and operated Southwood since its inception.

The letter explains the possible sale and says one of Habitat’s goals is to create new housing for the park’s residents.

Minor said his family approached Habitat for Humanity about the sale in the hope that residents would be able to live in the new development.

“We really want to allow the people that are living here to remain living here,” Minor said.

A few blocks away from the Southwood office building, Lyn and Barbara Beasley sat on the front porch of the trailer they’ve called home for the past 33 years.

The couple, both 73, expressed fear of being priced out of the new housing, but said they would consider moving into the Habitat development if the cost were manageable.

“If it was something affordable, I don’t see why we wouldn’t,” Barbara Beasley said.

Southwood residents pay about $230 per month to rent the land their trailers rest on.

According to the Habitat For Humanity Web site, people who purchase homes through the group pay about $300 per month on average for their mortgage, taxes and insurance.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, several local politicians characterized the purchase as a victory in the battle to create more affordable housing.

“This is the most significant commitment with regard to affordable housing in all the time I’ve represented Charlottesville and Albemarle County,” said state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, a Democrat from Bath County.

Some park residents, however, dislike the change.

Jeanette Thomas, who lives across the street from the Beasleys, said she would probably take her trailer someplace else rather than move into Habitat housing.

“I think it would be a real hardship on people like me who are in the middle of buying their trailers,” Thomas said.

Down the street from Thomas’ house, neighbors Brenda Cowgill and Tina Anderson carried groceries toward their homes.

Cowgill, a 15-year Southwood resident, balked at the idea of giving up her trailer.

“I’m not moving into an apartment complex,” Cowgill said. “I love my yard.”

Anderson, however, welcomed the idea of new housing.

“I think it would get a lot of the trouble out,” Anderson said. “As it is, I don’t let my kids outside because of the traffic on these roads.”

No change is imminent for Southwood. Habitat for Humanity will spend the next six months studying the property and working to raise a $1 million down payment on the land, McGehee said.

McGehee would not release Southwood’s sale price.

If Habitat decides to go forward with the purchase, Habitat will spend the next several years operating the trailer park while it raises funds and plans the development.

Contact Rob Seal at (434) 978-7299.