Residents of Mountain View Park are purchasing their 31-space mobile home community and converting it into a not-for-profit cooperative with the goal of stabilizing rent and securing long-term housing for those who call it home, as well as those who will eventually move in.
Sharon Reddert has lived at the park for more than 30 years and is one of the residents leading the effort for the purchase of the community. Reddert is acting as president for the group’s interim five-member volunteer board of Mountain View Cooperative Inc.
“We don't get paid. It’s a work of love to benefit our community, as it is very time consuming,” Reddert said. “Our board members sacrifice their time to make this happen, which is a challenge for them to juggle work schedules along with board responsibilities.”
The necessary paperwork has been filed and the park is currently under contract as the group moves toward becoming what Reddert said is the first resident-owned mobile home park in Montezuma County.
Though the cost to buy the park has not yet been released, Reddert told The Journal it is a price the board considers favorable. The purchase process is expected to take four months. Once the steps to purchase are completed, the residents will vote for final approval.
Colorado Revised Statute 38-12-217 gives mobile home park residents in the state first opportunity to buy their communities. Reddert said she began researching the resident-owned model after she learned that several Durango residents had purchased their parks.
The cooperative is working with Thistle ROC to navigate the transaction and has received guidance from the MHP Network, a nonprofit focused on mobile home park preservation. Network founder Dan Hunt and Brian Franks, both residents of recently purchased parks in Durango, have offered advice based on their experiences, Reddert said.
She shared that many of the park’s residents are seniors who live on fixed incomes or others who work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Through this model, the residents living at Mountain View Park can lock in their rent that covers loan payments and operating costs, instead of generating profit for an owner who doesn’t live in the park.
“Personally, I want to secure our future for our children and for future residents, that they don't have to worry about huge rent increases or fear having to relocate in an already limited area for mobile home spaces,” Reddert said.
The residents are also planning on making road repairs and working on other community-funded improvements once the purchase goes through. They will also set their own rules, which are subject to annual review.
Future vacant spaces would give preference to low- and moderate-income households, expanding affordable housing options in the area.
Residents or others interested in supporting the effort can contact Reddert at 403-2876 or sharonreddert@gmail.com.
bduran@the-journal.com
