In 2015, Matt Jensen witnessed听two long-time Vista Village residents lose their homes. Jensen's听two elderly neighbors听could no longer care for听themselves听and had听planned to sell their homes to cover living听in听an assisted-living facility, he says.
Instead, the manufactured home park's owner found a loophole听in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) housing laws, allowing the corporation听to forbid听sales听of Vista Village's pre-1976 manufactured homes听and to require residents of those older homes to pay to听remove their units. As in听most manufactured home parks, Vista Village residents own their homes, but rent the land beneath听them, and employees of the park's ownership manage the land. Although the two residents' homes听were older, Jensen says they听had been remodeled and maintained, and had passed housing inspections.听
Refusing to let the homeowners sell their homes was a movement towards听gentrifying the park, Jensen says.
"Those听homes were听the senior's biggest assets," he says. "I听witnessed听elderly women who became听homeless听because of this.听I听don鈥檛听know what became of them.听 That was beyond the pale for me."
Soon after, one of the听park's residents formed a residents' group. A year later, the organization听transitioned to a nonprofit association registered with the state of Colorado, now called the Vista Village Community Association.听Jensen has been a member of the association's board of directors for five years, including听three of those years as president. 听听
He has听lived in Vista听Village听since 2003, choosing the manufactured home park because of its affordability.
"Boulder was, and still is,听very expensive, and I wanted to stay in Boulder, " says听Jensen.听听"Vista Village is a听really nice place, surrounded by parks, which is a wonderful thing."听
What do you feel are the听most pressing issues for residents?
The residents have issues with the management around听park upkeep, such as听tree branches听hanging over their homes, where high winds and heavy snow could break the branches and damage听those homes, and听sewers not听being听maintained and backing up into homes. There also has not been听much听transparency on how utilities, like water,听are being billed.听The park's streets are in OK condition, but they听used to听pave听the streets every five to six听years.听 It's now been seven years since they paved them.
The other issue听is the skyrocketing听rent. Sometimes the annual rent increases are听manageable; sometimes they are much higher. When the cost of living goes up, people get displaced. With the pandemic, rising rents are听certainly something we are keeping an eye on because even though there's听a听moratorium听on evictions, people are still struggling. Rent stabilization is one of my personal听core听missions. I really, really听wish we could make more headway听on rent听stabilization听so rent is听not听continually rising. It makes听it increasingly difficult for residents听of modest means.听
The only听two solutions that I can see is that something needs to听be done to control the housing costs or people need to听make more money so they can afford it.听
I try to keep the viewpoint听that the owners have听plenty of overhead expenses, but there is not much transparency. The owners are听not willing to talk to us.
What are some of the accomplishments of the association?
Our association's mission听is to "unite the community through social connections, mutual support,听education听and advocacy for听our听homeowners'听rights."听听
A big part of what we do is organize听events to bring the community together, like barbecues and pancake breakfasts.听
But sometimes people have听issues with the owners听and management, and听we鈥檒l听advocate to the best of our abilities听for the homeowners' rights.听I view the association as trying to work with ownership and management. As well as working on conflict,听we also work on trying to work together.听
A lot of our听accomplishments can be found in the听ordinances of the city of Boulder's Manufactured Housing Strategy, which is something we helped put in place.听I feel really good about the progress we made with听the city and state. Boulder's city听council听has been听very supportive听of us and听acts as a mediator between the residents听and park management. The council passed at least three ordinances in the last three to four years that are helpful to residents. We're听working on the latest ordinance, which involves听city laws听in regards to听home sales.听
During the 1980's the "Mobile Home Parks Act," was the sole state听law for manufactured听home parks. Before we听started听organizing, manufactured听housing听rights were very weak, and there were听little听protections for manufactured home听owners.听 A lot of the residents听are low听income. They听can鈥檛听afford听lawyers.听They听don鈥檛听have a way to听represent听themselves. A lot of these people are not English speakers.听The new state law was a big accomplishment for us because there is now a听way to file complaints with the state to help resolve听disputes between park owners and residents. There is also听a new听department听that specifically deals with manufactured housing on听the听state level.
What are some tips for residents who want to form a manufactured home association?
It starts with neighbors talking to neighbors and having those "over-the-fence" types of conversations, then finding a听common purpose and cause.
Also work with your city council and let听them know what your听association is听working on and the听issues it's听dealing with. Then see听what your听elected听representatives can听do to听represent your residents.听
Do you have any听insights for people who want to step into a more formal leadership听role?听
You听can't听always help, but when you can help,听it鈥檚听a wonderful thing. When residents听feel like we have helped them, that really gets them involved. They end up听participating听in meetings and contacting us more often. It goes from there.听
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