More than fences: A story of community power
Not many people know Shady Hill. It’s a quiet, close-knit manufactured home community in Chesterfield County where over 400 residents have lived for decades. Some Shady Hill community members now live alongside multiple generations of their families.
Driving through the park, you see a typical neighborhood: kids playing, dogs barking, and neighbors talking as they get home from work. Residents take pride in their homes and yards, many of which are surrounded by long-standing fences that provide privacy and safety.
When Shady Hill was sold in 2022, and in response to county code enforcement, new property owners threatened changes that would have caused widespread displacement of park residents. In response, the community united to form the Shady Hill Association of Residents Empowered (SHARE) and, with the help of LAJC, have been advocating relentlessly—and so far, successfully—to stay in their homes.
These same community leaders were poised and ready to fight back again when, earlier this year, the same property management company suddenly signaled that all fences must be removed imminently. When residents asked for their justification, management simply said that they didn’t need one.
The community moved swiftly to plan and implement their multi-pronged response. First, Shady Hill residents spent a weekend collecting signatures from impacted households on a petition to save the fences. The community then sent this petition, which garnered over 50 signatures, along with clearly laid out concerns about fence removal demands, to both property management and Chesterfield County. Finally, they posted a Google review that includes photos of Shady Hill residents with their fences (pictured here) and personal testimony on why fences bring value to their homes and families.
The property managers got the message. They reversed their ban on the fences, allowing residents to keep or update them to meet certain requirements, such as height and materials.
Shady Hill’s hard-fought advances are a testament to the incredible power of collective action and creatively combining different advocacy tactics. LAJC is proud to uplift, empower, and partner with communities like Shady Hill all across Virginia.
