Our Mission:
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
WITHOUT DISPLACEMENT
PODER Emma Community Ownership creates tools and strategies to prevent displacement and preserve the tight-knit nature of mobile home communities which keep our families safe.
Emma residents have a deep love for where we live, and PODER Emma and partner grassroots organizations have been working for more than a decade to build deep relationships, strengthen leadership skills and capacity in ourselves and our neighbors, and to cultivate a sense of place, belonging, identity and culture. Over the years we have created community solutions to problems in our neighborhood that have created a collective belief that when community comes together we can improve our lives for ourselves and future generations.
As the City of Asheville rapidly develops, many communities are facing accelerated displacement. The community relationships, trust, infrastructure and resources that have been built by neighbors is at risk being lost, particularly due to the vulnerability of mobile home residents who have seen the replacement of mobile home parks with condominiums and commercial properties across the county. This is why we focus on community controlled economic development, local policy advocacy and cultural work to protect our community.