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Saco residents urge council to block steep lot‑rent hikes; council asks staff to research moratorium
Summary
More than a dozen residents of Blue Haven Mobile Home Park told the Saco City Council Monday that rapid lot‑rent increases and reduced services are forcing older and low‑income neighbors to consider leaving. Council directed staff to research temporary moratorium options and return with details at the next meeting.
SACO, Maine — Dozens of Saco residents, many of them retirees and fixed‑income households from Blue Haven Mobile Home Park, urged the City Council on Monday to halt steep lot‑rent increases and to press the park’s owner to address maintenance and safety problems.
“Every time our rent goes up, they always say it’s maintenance,” said Dan Richards, who described deferred repairs at the park and said about 40% of residents there are retired. “When this rent goes up, we’re gonna lose neighbors.”
Several speakers described the same pattern: modest annual increases for years, followed by larger hikes since the park’s ownership changed. Jennifer Craigon told the council that when she moved into Blue Haven in 2003 her lot rent was $295; she said the lot rent was $515 as of January 2025 and that the park has since added a separate water charge. “I can’t afford that,” she…
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