Westside Mobile Home Park/Triangle Trailer Park

Elevation Community Land Trust, based in Denver, had at one time been interested in acquiring a mobile home park outside of Colorado Springs to be redeveloped into homes on permanent foundations, according to executive director Stefka Fanchi. In the park of interest, all the units were owned by the park and rented to residents. Elevation tried to purchase the park but was outbid by a California corporation.

When residents of Westside Mobile Home Park in Durango received notice the park was being sold, the community organized and created a coop and hoped to purchase their park with the help of ROC USA. However, the park didn’t meet ROC’s requirements; it was a mix of units that were rentals, resident-owned, and lease-to-own. Only two of the units were newer than 1970. Many units constituted substandard housing, with holes in the walls, no working heat, and other safety concerns. Some were divided into multiple housing spaces, or “studios.”

Upon hearing Elevation’s vision for redevelopment, residents decided to “build the dream” alongside the organization. Residents were 45 days into their (then) 90-day purchase period, and assigned their “opportunity to purchase” to Elevation. Fanchi called on partners, put together financing and made an offer to the owner that was rejected. At the same time, an article appeared in The New York Times about the company that was competing for the property. The park owner suggested if Elevation could meet the same terms as that potential buyer, make a cash offer, and close in 30 days, he would accept it.

By arranging for bridge financing, Elevation met his criteria, and its second offer was accepted.

Funders included the Impact Development Fund, First Southwest Bank, Local First Foundation, and
La Plata County—as well as donations from individual community members.

Soon thereafter, another nonprofit purchased the adjacent Triangle Trailer Park, and now Elevation is buying Triangle from that nonprofit with the vision of redeveloping both parks into one community. Elevation intends to ask the city to annex both parks, which are located in the city but technically outside of its boundaries.

Elevation won’t try to renovate or replace the aged mobile homes; instead, the agency intends to put factory-built modular homes on permanent foundations, replacing groups of the old mobile homes in phases. Elevation committed to no rent increases and no displacement of residents, so the process of refashioning the mobile home parks into neighborhoods of modular homes will likely take five to eight years. The first foundations should be set in spring 2025.

Fanchi expects to end up with a mix of permanently affordable rental and resident-owned units at the two parks. Currently the parks have 72 units; when the project is done, she believes they will house 107 modular houses.