A low-income housing site with a history of poor maintenance and environmental quality has a new owner. As KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, St. Vincent de Paul has purchased the Saginaw Mobile Home and RV Park.
The organization paid $1.35 million for the site, which is between Cottage grove and Creswell. It’s the sixth mobile home park in Lane County that St. Vincent has bought, with the intent of preserving safe and affordable housing for struggling families.
Paul Neville is the Society’s spokesman. He says many of the tenants in the 41 homes have had to travel into neighboring towns for basic services.
“We want to put in new bathrooms, showers," Neville says. "We’re going to put in a roadway, right now there is only dirt road that in the winter becomes nearly impassable.
"We’re going to put in a community room, new office building as well.”
Previous owners neglected the 14-acre Saginaw property, resisting Lane County orders to obtain permits and fix the septic system.
Three years ago, St. Vincents bought the Oakridge Mobile Home park, which has since seen a drop in crime-related calls.
Copyright 2017, KLCC.