Relocation fund established for displaced mobile home residents

In response to the mass eviction notices issued to residents of a mobile home park in Evergreen, Whitefish Community Foundation has awarded a $45,000 Emergency Response Grant to NeighborWorks Montana to help displaced residents find new housing.

Tenants of the Spring Creek Mobile Home Park received eviction notices last month to vacate the property within 180 days. In response, NeighborWorks Montana is working closely with park residents to help them relocate their mobile homes or find new housing. Nearly 30 families are impacted, including over 25 children.

“We know from past manufactured home park closures how difficult it is for residents to regain stable housing when faced with this type of displacement,” NeighborWorks Montana Cooperative Housing Director Danielle Maiden said. “We hope relocation assistance will ease some of the challenges Spring Creek residents are facing, and we are grateful to the Whitefish Community Foundation and donors for their support.”

In addition to awarding the Emergency Response Grant, Whitefish Community Foundation has created the Spring Creek Resident Relocation Fund to accept tax-deductible donations for the emergency.

“We are pleased to take on this administrative role so that NeighborWorks Montana can focus on working directly with the residents,” Whitefish Community Foundation President/CEO Alan Davis said. “All fund administration fees are being waived, so 100 percent of the donations will directly support the Spring Creek residents during this difficult time. We hope others will be inspired to help reach the $160,000 goal.”

The Emergency Response Grant to NeighborWorks Montana is made possible by the Circle of Giving, the core group of donors who give $5,000 or more annually to support the grant programs and mission of Whitefish Community Foundation. In 2023, the Circle of Giving invested more than $1.9 million in Flathead Valley nonprofits.

To date, $50,000 has been raised for the Spring Creek Resident Relocation Fund, leaving a $110,000 funding gap.

Tax-deductible donations to the fund can be made online at whitefishcommunityfoundation.org, by calling (406) 863-1781 or by mailing a check payable to Whitefish Community Foundation to P.O. Box 1060, Whitefish, MT 59937.