How did this all get started?

1.  Shelburnewood is a mobile home park that has existed in the heart of Shelburne for over 25 years. It lies hidden behind the newly renovated Shelburne Inn and houses 26 families in relative seclusion.  In February of 2005, the owners of  Shelburnewood notified the park residents they were selling the park property, which would have resulted in the eviction of all 26 families.

2.  In an effort to preserve the Park and protect the homes of the families who live there, the Housing Foundations Inc.(HFI) was approached to help raise funds to buy the Park and develop it. 

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Note: HFI is a nonprofit statewide organization that exits to preserve and create affordable housing opportunities for Vermonters

3.  Because of the high price of the land and the supporting infrastructure, it became apparent to HFI that the only way to buy the park and save the residential community was to partner with a developer who would purchase part of the land and create additional housing on the property surrounding the Park.

4.  In the spring of 2007, after an initial developer backed out of the project, and after months of searching for a viable solution, Green Mountain Development Group (GMDG) agreed to partner with HFI and presented a plan they felt would not only rescue the families of  Shelburnewood, but would also provide affordable, workforce, and market rate housing to area residents, including senior citizens.