Southwood

Southwood Redevelopment

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville is supporting the redevelopment of the Southwood Mobile Home Park as the nonprofit owner, developer, and property manager. Habitat purchased the park in 2007 to prevent massive and catastrophic resident displacement and has invested more than $25M to stabilize operations ever since. Long term, Habitat’s goal is to turn over complete ownership to the residents themselves in a redeveloped community of sustainable, permanent housing.

To learn more about the community and homebuying opportunities, go to SouthwoodCommunity.org.

Southwood's History

In 2007, confronted with failing infrastructure and pressure from local enforcement agencies, the Southwood Mobile Home Park’s owner posed a question to residents – should she sell the property to a private developer, or should she approach Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville?

The residents chose Habitat.

It was a leap of faith for all. The Southwood community put their futures into the hands of a nonprofit organization previously unknown to them, and Habitat promised to take on ownership of a 100-acre trailer park with more than 1,500 residents, with the long-term goal of redeveloping the park without displacing the community.

Our Process

Through asset-based community development, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville is implementing a national model of neighborhood-driven redevelopment at Southwood Mobile Home Park. Built on the foundations of strong community identity and cohesion, Habitat is partnering with residents to design their own community, and their own future. Habitat will facilitate the holistic transformation of the neighborhood to meet the vision of the community and improve the quality of life for all its residents.

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Approximately 20 million people live in trailers nationally, most of whom own their homes but not the land underneath them. Southwood will provide a blueprint at an unprecedented scale for working with residents to improve their long-term housing, financial, and social conditions, while achieving secure housing tenure. This unique nonprofit and public partnership will be a model for how to achieve redevelopment equitably, sustainably and attractively, both here in Central Virginia and nationwide.