If Wolhurst Caravan Park residents had more choice, perhaps they wouldn’t be so concerned about taking on a new landlord.
There are two reasons they don’t have many options available: Residents’ incomes are modest or even fixed, yet housing costs in Littleton and along the Front Range have skyrocketed in recent years.
Their homes have been protected from high rents until now, but when their new landlord, Havenpark Communities – which owns mobile home parks across the US – steps in, many residents are unsettled. They fear that rents could rise and they will no longer be able to afford their homes.
“I have nowhere else to live,” said resident Debbie Wilkinson. “There’s nowhere else to go. This is the last bastion. You can’t move into an apartment. You can’t afford assisted living unless you’re on Medicaid.”
Wolhurst, a senior mobile home park at 8201 S. Santa Fe Drive, has a small lake and 301 lots. When residents learned of Havenpark’s intention to buy the land, they tried to acquire it themselves. After a complicated process, the residents’ offer fell through and the landowners sold the park to Havenpark.
With the sale, Wolhurst followed a trend in Colorado and across the country in which large companies from other states acquire mobile home parks. The sales often came with rent increases.
However, Havenpark acknowledges that this could lead to an increase in rents and said the company is concerned about rent affordability.
In a statement to the Littleton Independent, the company said it was “pride in providing quality housing at affordable prices.”
“We are excited to be part of the Littleton community and already have investment plans that will make Wolhurst Lake even more enjoyable for residents and visitors, including road improvements, clubhouse renovations and other community area improvements,” the statement said.
In a letter to residents, Havenpark announced plans to improve the park. At least $400,000 will be spent on resurfacing the road and about $200,000 will be spent on renovating the community clubhouse. The letter also states that Havenpark plans to upgrade the pool furniture, post office building and community signage.
Still, many residents once envisioned owning the land and running their own community. A Colorado law gives residents of a mobile home park 120 days after being notified of a potential sale to make their own offer to buy the park.
But after months of research and effort – and some disagreement within the community about the benefits of purchasing the park – the Wolhurst residents’ bid failed.
“It hurts my heart to realize that we have not succeeded,” said Wilkinson, who sat on the board of the residents’ cooperative that put together the group’s proposal.
A similar scenario is playing out at another Littleton-area mobile home park called Meadowood Village. It’s just a few miles north, but the outcome could be quite different.
Earlier this summer, the Meadowood landowner accepted the residents’ offer for the park, and by mid-August the group was still working out details and raising funds in hopes of completing the sale.
In Wolhurst, Havenpark Communities bought the park through a limited liability company called Wolhurst Lake Colorado for $58 million, according to Douglas County records. According to the notice of sale sent to residents, Havenpark bought the property as-is.
Havenpark’s website states that its mission is to “make caring communities accessible to responsible citizens across America.” Still, many residents after the purchase point to the company’s reputation in other parts of the country, where rents and fees have increased since the parks were purchased.
With affordable housing difficult to find throughout the city, mobile homes are a go-to option for many who have few alternatives. They are considered the largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing in the country.
Resident’s rights
At a recent community meeting, attorney David Valleau of the Colorado Poverty Law Project informed Wolhurst residents of their rights after the sale.
Colorado’s mobile home park law places no limits on how much landlords can raise rent, Valleau said, adding to residents’ concerns. However, the law requires landlords to notify residents of rent increases at least 60 days before the increase takes effect.
“The landlord does not have the freedom to increase the rent from one month to the next,” Valleau told residents. “A rent increase must be communicated to you in writing.”
The notice must include the amount of the increase, the effective date and the administration’s contact information, Valleau said. If landlords increase rent, they can only do so once per year per tenant, he added.
As of mid-August, residents reported that they had not been notified of any rent increases.
A Havenpark spokesperson said the company had not yet decided what rent increases would look like at Wolhurst – now Wolhurst Lake – but the company was considering an increase of around 10%.
Some residents also expressed concern that Havenpark would install water meters in their homes and charge them additional fees for water. A Havenpark spokesperson told the Littleton Independent the company will not install water meters in existing homes.
The spokesman said Havenpark has no plans to convert the site into something that no longer provides housing, and the company is aiming to continue to provide affordable housing.
Wilkinson said she wished there was a legal cap on how much landlords could increase rents in mobile home parks.
“The most important thing … and this would give everyone relief, is if they passed a law that rents can’t go up more than 5%,” she said. “That’s their biggest concern.”
In 2022, lawmakers introduced a bill to protect mobile home park residents. It would have set a cap on annual rent increases for mobile homes, but Gov. Jared Polis told sponsors he would veto that provision, according to CPR News. As a result, the bill that passed does not include rent caps.
Given the potential financial challenges that rent increases could bring to their community, Wilkinson and her friend Claudia Curry Hill are considering starting a nonprofit organization to help their neighbors.
Hill also served on the board of the residents’ cooperative, which helped put together the residents’ proposal for the park.
“It’s about helping other people,” Hill said of the nonprofit they hope to start. “They need help at a time in their life when they can no longer work, to get a job and make more money.”
The nonprofit organization can raise money to help residents pay rent, assist them in applying for social benefits and assist neighbors with household tasks, it said.
Although there is no provision protecting residents from rent increases, the Mobile Home Park Act provides some protection to residents. Valleau said new mobile home park owners cannot force residents to sign a new lease.
“You all have the right to decide, ‘Hey, I’m happy with my lease that I signed when I moved in. I’m going to keep it.’ And the landlord can’t force you to sign his lease,” he said.
If residents are offered a new lease, they can sign it, Valleau added, but it is important that residents have the right to make their own decision.
He said residents can contact the Colorado Poverty Law Project for pro bono legal advice. The organization helps people with housing-related legal issues and could help residents understand their rights after the recent purchase.
He said the organization can also help residents if they receive an eviction notice, which he believes should be taken seriously.
“If you receive an eviction notice or a court summons, seek legal help as soon as possible,” he said.
More: Individuals needing legal assistance in housing matters may contact the Colorado Poverty Law Project by completing the form at the following address: https://www.copovertylawproject.org/get-eviction-housing-help or contacting [email protected] or (303) 532-2641.
