Support affordable housing

My name is Patrick Valentine, and I am treasurer of the new board of directors for the nonprofit resident-owned community (ROC) in Hermosa. We have 56 mobile homes in our community and two stick-built rental units.  

We are attempting to buy our park from a private owner. The park owner wants current tenants to buy and preserve this low-income mobile home property, formerly called Hermosa Mobile Home Village. We are now under contract. We are supported by Thistle ROC, Colorado, a national 501(c)(3). Thistle has accessed financing on our behalf from ROC USA Capital, a nonprofit that specializes in lending to mobile home parks pursuing resident-owned communities. Assisting us on the Thistle ROC group is our primary facilitator Justin Holman who has been guiding us from the start. 

ROC provides financing and technical assistance to mobile home park residents facing an ownership change, helping to cover the purchase price and pre-purchase expenses, like attorney and engineering fees, through a pre-development loan. Thistle also will advise the board of directors for the duration of the loan; help residents understand financial issues; help run community meetings; and set up a cooperative with an elected board of directors.  

Another of Thistle’s Resident Owned Communities is the Animas View MHP Co-Op, which joined ROC on June 17, 2021. This property, on Animas View Drive, contains 120 homes.  

We are writing to ask for assistance. We are a low-income community with many residents living below the average median income. We conducted income surveys to comply with ROC USA’s lending terms and have come to the grim realization that individual rents will double with the park purchase. Many of our older residents live on fixed incomes, and this increase could create severe hardships for them.  

In our efforts to keep low-income housing options in La Plata County, our board has determined that we need a substantial influx of cash to be able to lower the monthly rents by about $100 per lot per month. Our board is reaching out to all philanthropically minded individuals, groups, foundations and organizations as we seek financial contributions. We must raise $800,000. Time is of the essence; we have little time to obtain assistance.  

If our ROC fails, the park owner will certainly re-market this property, and we any new purchaser will likely raise rents even higher to recoup their investment, forcing many here into oblivion.  

Our board is composed of five park residents serving non-grata to facilitate this project. We have hired Reliance Management of Durango to oversee daily operations in our park.

We would be grateful if anyone could offer philanthropic donations to help preserve low-income housing in the Durango area. Most everyone is aware of the high costs of living in our beautiful town and the daily rising costs of life in general.  

Please feel free to reach out to any of our board members if you want more information on our situation. Our hope is that we will find generous benefactors to support us.

Visit our website for more information: www.hermosavillagecommunity.org

– Jan Wesley, Brian Franks, Erica Stuart, Rob Kirby, Patrick Valentine, Hermosa Village Cooperative Board of Directors