By Grayson Cooper.
There have been two recent successful Resident Owned Community (ROC) conversions in WA recently: Poplar Estates Cooperative and Ohana Estates Homeowners Cooperative.
In mid-2025, the residents of Poplar Estates, known as Evergreen Estates at the time, received the concerning notice that the land under their homes were for sale. This Montesano community was fearful, but turned their concern into action, and with the help of the ROC Northwest program at NWCDC, began exploring purchasing their park as a housing cooperative. The residents of these 47 homes hit the ground running, motivated and excited to preserve their affordable living in the beautiful area they called home.
With the guidance of NWCDC and generous funding from the Department of Commerce, in August of 2025, they were able to purchase the land as the newly created Poplar Estates Cooperative. They are outspoken with their appreciation for Janet and Diane, who were with them every step of the way, making sure their new business was set up for success and that they had all the tools they needed to protect their homes.
Up North in Pierce County, the Tacoma-based Ohana Estates faced a different dilemma: the 59 sequoia trees that made their home feel so unique were beginning to grow roots that cost money to cut back, and the owners were considering chopping them down.
Not about to let the trees that attracted them to live and stay here so long go without a fight, the 25 households banded together and hired an arborist to inspect the trees. The arborist found that the trees were not a risk to any of the infrastructure on the site, and that removing them because of a few roots was extreme. The residents presented this to the ownership, who in turn backed off the plan to remove the sequoias. Before NWCDCs involvement, these residents took their first step towards becoming a cooperative without even knowing it.
Inspired by the residents’ resolve and organization, and due to previous experience selling to the residents through the ROC Northwest program, the owners reached out to NWCDC to explore sale to the residents for Ohana Estates as well. A few months later in February of 2026, Ohana Estates Homeowners Cooperative purchased their park, thanks to Luis, who supported their conversion. Pierce County CDC awarded a grant to help maintain affordability as well, their second ever for a ROC Conversion, as well as grant funding from the Department of Commerce.
These recent conversions permanently preserved 72 homes, giving power back to the residents there to control their destinies and have a stable, predictable place to call home.
