INTERNATIONAL NEWS
PHRAA
LINKING HANDS ACROSS THE OCEAN.
One could be forgiven for thinking that it is only here in the UK that Park/ Mobile Homeowners are suffering ever increasing exploitation at the hands of unscrupulous park owners with no protection from the law or that there were other Voluntary National Park/Mobile Home Residents Associations fighting tirelessly for the same legally enforceable rights for Park/Mobile Homeowners in their country as PHRAA is doing for all park/mobile homeowners here in the UK. Not only are our two associations fighting for the same rights, their methods of operation are remarkably similar to those of PHRAA. Both “Tell it as it is” as will be seen by the following………
ENDORSEMENT OF PHRAA
By THE COALITION OF MOBILE HOME OWNERS - California. CoMO-CAL.
California has about 5,000 mobile home parks with approximately 650,000 spaces. There are about 10,000,000 spaces in the United States. CoMO-CAL is an advocacy group helping California mobile home owners protect themselves and their investment. We have both family parks and over 55 parks, many residents are seniors, and many live on fixed or low incomes.
While researching an article on “intimidation in mobile home parks” for our monthly newsletter, THE VOICE”, we found a group called Park Home Residents Action Alliance or PHRAA. Of course we were very interested in learning about the life and issues of a park resident in the United Kingdom.
Amazingly, after reading several of the articles listed on the PHRAA website we came to discover that6 one has very similar issues, wheter you were living in California or the United Kingdom. Such issues as; losing your home to the park owner, the failure of Government to adequately protect us, the reality we are on our own, the up hill battle we face against our park owners, rental increases, intimidation, harassment, etc.
Our two organisations are remarkably similar. In fact both PHRAA and CoMA-CAL were formed out of a need to give owners of mobile homes some hope and we both strive to tell the truth. We share information with all - not just our membership. We sensor nothing. We have read many of the articles written by Ron Joyce and Colin Packman. They tell it like it is and we do the same thing here in California..
Now we are not alone. Mobile home owners in the UK and California have a real bond. CoMO-CAL is excited to share our resources and expertise with PHRAA and all mobile home owners in the UK. In fact our two groups are already making plans to team up and help each other. This after all is a world wide problem and we are serious about finding solutions.
CoMO-CAL invites all homeowners in the UK to visit our website at; comocal.org We have a message board at;
Mobile home owners in the UK are lucky to have PHRAA working for them. It is a full time job, but a very, very important job. Our hats off to Colin, Ron, Malcolm, Joan and the others. We heartily endorse PHRAA and its leadership. We think they are offering a terrific service to homeowners in the UK and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship. Here’s to a better life for mobile homeowners both in California and the UK.
Frank Wodley. President, CoMO-CAL.
Thanks very much Frank. We are sure that the linking up of CoMO-CAL and PHRAA will prove to be a positive step forward for us all.
Ron Joyce. General Secretary PHRAA. January 2009.
