Bringing the Manton mobile home park back under local control
Manton Community Development Corporation, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, organized to qualify as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. 31300 Manton Road, Manton, CA 96059.
What is Happening at the Manton Mobile Home Park?
In mid-September 2026, a brand new non-profit managed by a small group of Manton residents began the process of acquiring the mobile home park, located in the heart of town and behind Sweetshoots Cafe. The acquisition, which should be final at the end of October, will bring the park under direct local control. As a Community Development Corporation, rent, grants, and any funding awarded will be used to improve the land and housing for residents.
The Manton Community Development Corporation (MCDC for short) is a specific kind of nonprofit built to take on the project of improving housing, and by its design, will be eligible to apply for federal and state funding to do the work needed. It is not a private investor, and it is not connected to any other nonprofit, corporation or person.
More information will be available soon to the general public. Stay in touch or reach out with questions at mantoncdc@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you.
Questions and Answers
What's happening?
A new nonprofit, MCDC, is in the process of acquiring the trailer park with the goal of fixing it up and keeping it a stable and affordable place to live for people already residing in Manton.
Who founded Manton CDC, and who controls it?
Lee and Carrie Marshall set up MCDC specifically to acquire and improve the park. The initial board is composed of three people: Lee, Carrie, and Jen Hiller, who lives in the park. Trey Hiller will be the onsite liaison at the park for residents.
Why these Directors? Why this project?
Trey and Jen Hiller were the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the prior owner, documenting safety and health issues affecting everyone at the park and fighting for accountability. Lee Marshall’s law firm represented them in court. The parties involved have been working for more than a year to get the prior owner to improve conditions in the park. They know the residents, and they know the problems left to fester by prior owners.
The Marshalls have a farm nearby and care about Manton's future. The trailer park sits right in the middle of the Manton Parks community center, Sweetshoots, and their farm, and they want to see this stretch of town thrive. The Hillers live in the park and simply want their home and their neighbors' homes to be safe.
Together, this group worked through the Tehama court system to compel the previous park owners to make real changes and bring operations up to appropriate standards. On September 10 2026, the Marshalls and Hillers negotiated a settlement to take over the park immediately rather than rely on the previous owners to make court-mandated repairs. A deal was hashed out in a matter of hours. Over the next 4 days, the new non-profit entity (MCDC) was created, and it took on dozens of tasks to initiate the transfer. The process will continue to take several weeks to finalize.
Who's paying for this?
The Marshalls made a personal donation to MCDC to acquire the land. The Hillers gave up a substantial financial award that they were owed from the legal case as a condition of settling the lawsuit immediately. Beyond that, because MCDC is a nonprofit, rent from the tenants will now go toward repairs and upkeep rather than to a private owner or investors. And because the non profit was designed as a Community Development Corporation, it can apply for specific government and private grants to fund more improvements over time.
Will you evict people?
The point of this acquisition is to improve the housing that's already here, not to displace the people living in it. MCDC has no intent to evict people. Outsiders are already telling park residents that evictions are imminent. This is absolutely untrue.
Will you be taking new tenants?
No, not right now. The current septic system can't support more spaces than are already occupied, and keeping the park at its current size gives us room to plan carefully for its future instead of rushing. MCDC needs time to figure out what the current residents want and need, and what the systems onsite are capable of, before renting out any further spaces.
What are your plans for the park?
The first priority is fixing the infrastructure for necessities like water, sewer, power, and mitigating safety issues to improve living conditions for current residents. MCDC invites residents to share what they need in order for the park to feel safe and enjoyable to live in. To be clear, MCDC is focused on improving the living conditions for current residents of Manton. The non-profit is not engaged in the business of turning the Manton mobile home park into a refuge for outsiders, nor is there a plan to use the space to benefit outside interests.
How can we learn more?
Email with questions, or find any one of the Directors online or in person in Manton to talk.
As a non-profit, our annual filings and records will be made publicly available.
Contact: mantoncdc@gmail.com
EIN 42-5041117