Residents of Meadowood Village Mobile Home Park in Littleton are on the path to becoming a resident-owned community, celebrating a successful bid to purchase their park from an out-of-state investor. Joyce Tanner and her neighbors at Golden Hills Mobile Home Park in Golden recently marked their first anniversary as a resident-owned community after purchasing their park from Harmony Communities. The journey to ownership was filled with highs and lows, setbacks, and eventual relief, as they battled rent increases and faced the challenges of buying their park from large corporate investors.
Manufactured homes are a key part of Colorado’s affordable housing solution, but living in a mobile home park involves both the cost of the home and the lot rent. Moving a mobile home can be costly and daunting, with strict regulations often complicating or preventing relocation. As one of the country’s largest sources of unsubsidized affordable housing, manufactured home residents often face challenges when dealing with large corporate investors raising rents at will.
Golden Hills residents organized to form a homeowners cooperative, purchasing their park and working to stabilize lot rents and improve the community. With financial and technical support, the co-op faced infrastructure repairs, maintenance backlogs, and budget challenges after taking ownership. Despite the difficulties, residents like John Hoefler and William Gregg found new hope in the cooperative model, offering security and predictability for residents in the face of rising rents and uncertainty. By working together, these residents are forging a new path toward affordable and stable housing in Colorado’s mobile home parks.
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