News

At the Oregon State Tenants Association (OSTA) our work often involves navigating conflict and addressing grievances. However, we believe it is equally important to highlight the gold standard of leadership when we see it. The relationship between a resident and a park manager is one of the most significant factors in a tenant’s quality of life.

A Different Kind of Story

To illustrate the profound impact of quality management, we want to share a story from one of our member communities that reminds us why professional, compassionate leadership is so vital. As our members recently shared:

“Does having a good manager make or break a community?

The homeowners at Twin Cedars Mobile Home Park in Lebanon would likely answer that question with a resounding yes, because they have a very different story to tell about manager, Wade Hanson. In fact, Wade is the kind of manager worth writing about. Truly, worth honoring.

Wade is a young family man devoted to his wife and daughter, and he brings that same sense of care to his work. He’s one of those rare people you feel at ease with right away, approachable, patient, and always ready to listen. Residents regularly saw him walking through the park, offering a warm hello, stopping to check in, or taking a few minutes to ask how someone was doing. It wasn’t unusual to find him helping a homeowner tidy a yard or trim a few shrubs.

Wade embodies what a great manager should be: professional and knowledgeable, yet always willing to learn; attentive without being intrusive; respectful of every resident and every home.

Living in a manufactured home community is much like living in a small village. Neighbors celebrate together, support one another through hard times, and take pride in their shared space. A park manager is a central part of that dynamic, someone who can either help weave the community together pull it apart.

Over the past few years, far too many homeowners across Oregon have reported dealing with managers who isolate residents, ignore or violate tenant rights, and show little compassion or professionalism. That is why someone like Wade Hanson stands out so clearly.

Unfortunately, Wade is the exception rather than the rule, but his example reminds us what is possible, and what every community deserves.”

The “Manager of the Year” recognition is more than just a plaque; it is a call to action for park owners across the state. It proves that management based on mutual respect and legal integrity creates communities where tenants feel safe, heard, and respected in the places they call home.

When managers like Wade Hanson prioritize the human element of their roles, they create stable, happy, and thriving environments. At OSTA, we will continue to fight for the rights of all tenants, but today, we celebrate the managers who make that fight unnecessary by doing the right thing every single day. The award ceremony is schedule for January.

Parks have long been overlooked when it comes to fire safety. Due to the impact of past fires, there is a movement to help Parks become a FireWise Community. This is a designation for Parks that have taken part in a special program. This is a collaboration between Federal and State Government offices that created a program to identify problems in advance. More importantly, those findings will trigger work to correct them, involving volunteers and Park involvement.

What does that mean to us? The Associations are forming Committees to work with the project and undertake long-term commitments (estimated 2-3 years) to reduce the risks of fire damage to the Parks. Now is a critical time for this action, as the 5-7 year mark is a key period for fires to recur due to the regrowth of brush and trees in burned areas.

The best part? It will cost you and me nothing to take part. Tenants will be asked for some cooperation and participation. How does it work?

The process begins with a voluntary exterior home inspection to look for potential hazards. The report does NOT go to your insurance company or your landlord. It goes to you. Then an overall condition report is sent to the owners, to work together to address issues such as problem trees and overgrown brush. This is supported by volunteer programs by the US Forest Service and Young Marines, to name a few. Here’s an example;

A local park had 100 feet of Blackberry bushes along the creek. FireWise arranged to have a crew clear the entire creek path at No Cost (an estimated $9-$10,000 project). The park was then asked to spray 3x a year with approved chemicals to keep the brush down and prevent the hazard from regrowing as their contribution.

If you are interested in finding out more for your Park, reach out to FireWise at https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/wildfire/firewise-usa