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Holly is an independent author and publisher living in Genessee County, right outside of Flint, Michigan.

Holly writes a variety of young adult, or YA fantasy. Her passion is to write stories where characters facing dire circumstances can rise up and fight back against their oppressors.

Although Holly's books may take place in fantasical lands or worlds unlike our own, never did she think that her writings would ever mirror her reality.

In the spring of 2014, Holly moves into Swartz Creek Estates -- a manufactured housing community -- Like in most manufactured home communities, she can own her home, while renting the lot.

The lot rent is affordable, and in just a little over 5 years, she could pay off her home entirely, allowing Holly to pursue her dream of becoming a full-time writer.

Feeling like her life and career are finally in her own hands, Holly settles into Swartz Creek; surrounded by family, friends, and her beloved pets.

Unbeknownst to the community, Swartz Creek has been bought out by Havenpark Communities, a private investment firm based in Utah.

In the summer of 2019, upon returning home from a writer's retreat, Holly finds a letter on her door that states that Swartz Creek has been bought and her rent is going up by $70 -- a nearly 25% increase -- in 30 days.

Holly discovers that most of her neighbors in Swartz Creek are now facing steep rent increases, with many residents finding themselves priced out of their own homes.

That same summer, Holly decides to take a stand. She forms 'Michigan Mobile Home Residents for Affordable Housing', an online community group where impacted residents could share stories and strategize against Havenpark's predatory tactics.

Through shared experiences and personal research, Holly and her neighbors realize that Havenpark is buying communities all over Michigan; not just pricing people out of their homes in Genessee County, but also across the state...and there is little the law can do to protect residents.

Holly reaches out to MHAction, an organization dedicated to advocating for better policies and protections for manufactured home residents.

With the help of MHAction, Holly and her neighbors find out Havenpark is financed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac via Bellweather Entreprise, a subsidiary of Enterprise Community Partners, a non-profit dedicated to increasing and preserving affordable housing across the country.

To their shock, the very institutions meant to protect affordable housing are funding companies doing their best to endanger it; revealing a larger, national scheme to increase rents in low-income communities across the country.

Incensed, Holly and neighbors build a campaign driven by residents of Havenpark-owned communities in Michigan, Iowa, Montana, and North Dakota.

In December of 2019, Holly flies to Washington D.C. along with other residents and MHAction representatives to speak out against Havenpark at a Fannie Mae hearing attended by politicians, policy makers, and financiers alike.

They make a direct call to action against funding predatory developers and investment firms, as well as demanding regulation and oversight. To date, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has introduced slight protections on behalf of residents, but Holly recognizes there is still work to be done.

Holly's story isn't over. While she and other MHAction leaders continue to fight for resident protections, Holly was recently appointed to the Michigan Manufactured Housing Commission in 2022. Similar to her fantasy novels, Holly hopes her story can empower others to rise up against wrongdoing.

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