Residents of San Lazaro Mobile Home Park in Boulder County, Colorado, are racing against a deadline to buy their entire community after learning the property owners plan to sell the park for $42.5 million. This move aims to protect themselves from potential rent increases and redevelopment, which could displace many families.
The driving force behind the effort is Damien Teague, a medically retired Navy veteran who has lived in the park for nearly two decades. Upon receiving official notice of the planned sale, Teague quickly organized his neighbors to explore their legal options. Colorado law grants mobile home park residents a first right of refusal—a 120-day window to submit an offer matching the owner’s asking price before the property can be sold to outside buyers. For San Lazaro residents, this deadline falls in mid-July.
While the challenge of securing more than $42 million is significant, the residents have formed a nine-person steering committee to coordinate their bid and fundraising efforts. The local government has shown support, with officials from the city and county collaborating to appraise the property and backing the residents’ initiative. The city’s engagement director confirmed ongoing discussions between municipal staff and residents, emphasizing local governmental willingness to facilitate the acquisition.
To fund the purchase, San Lazaro residents are tapping into various resources, including the Colorado State Housing Board, the Department of Local Affairs’ Mobile Home Park Acquisition Fund, as well as local businesses, investors, and nonprofits like Thistle Community Housing. This nonprofit specializes in converting mobile home parks into resident-owned communities, providing a proven framework for this kind of collective ownership. Boulder County’s communications team acknowledged awareness of the residents’ efforts and the county’s initial involvement in supporting the bid.
The stakes are high as failure to purchase the park by the deadline could result in a new owner imposing steep rent hikes or redeveloping the land entirely, forcing residents out. The legal protection granted by Colorado’s mobile home park law is part of a broader trend—more than twenty other states have enacted similar statutes aimed at empowering vulnerable communities facing displacement due to property sales.