San Lazaro Park Properties bought the community, which was built in the 1960s, in 1983 and recently sent a notice of a plan to sell.
A 2020 state law provided mobile home park residents with the right to purchase their park, if the landlord intends to sell it or change its use. An expansion of that law in 2022 gave residents the first right of a refusal to buy the park. The law gives them 120 days to organize, raise money and make a competitive offer. The price residents need to meet for San Lazaro is $42.5 million.
“The resident owned option gives us that control and that stability that we need,” said resident John Bellos.
Manufactured, or mobile, home park residents often own their homes but not the land underneath them. In a resident owned community, a resident co-op owns the land, with member households paying rent to the co-op to cover the mortgage, property taxes, maintenance and other costs. Each household gets a vote on major decisions, allowing residents to control the rent and park rules. Excess revenue is reinvested in the co-op instead of becoming profit for a private company.
San Lazaro, just outside Boulder limits at 5505 Valmont Road, is totaling nearly 800 residents. So far, more than 80% of the community has organized in support of forming a resident-owned cooperative.
When manufactured homes are sold, the new owners often increase rent. Sometimes, they close or redevelop the park. Because the area where San Lazaro is located is zoned for mobile home parks, residents have said they’re most concerned about higher rents.
Leticia Garcia has lived in the community for eight years, saying it has created stability for her family and the other residents.
“As a manufactured home neighborhood, it is one of the only truly affordable housing options left for our community,” she wrote. “We currently live with the terrifying reality that (San Lazaro) could raise rents or shut down, forcing the community out. … Supporting the purchase of this property ensures that working families can keep their safe homes, maintain financial stability and live without the constant emotional toll of displacement.”
Lawyer Brian Ray, who represents San Lazaro Park Properties, said the owner is “eager and excited to explore the possibility of the residents purchasing the park and will work with them in good faith towards their effort.”
, through the nonprofit Resident Owned Communities USA, is working with the San Lazaro residents on the purchase. Their lending arm, ROC USA Capital, could provide a loan of up to $15 million toward the purchase price, according to the residents’ proposal. Thistle representatives could not be reached for comment.
The residents are suggesting a model similar to one used for a purchase last year of two mobile home parks in the Roaring Fork Valley. For that $42 million purchase, ROC USA Capital provided a $26 million loan. The remaining amount was raised through a partnership of seven local governments providing forgivable loans or grants and several private contributors.
Local resident owned communities include the 62-home Sans Souci Cooperative in Boulder, the 36-home LMP Coop in Longmont and the 34-home La Luna Community Cooperative in Lafayette. Boulder County in 2023 of the $4.5 million purchase price for La Luna, formerly the Mountain View Mobile Home Park.
In their proposal, San Lazaro residents pointed to Boulder County’s Affordable and Attainable Housing Tax as a potential revenue source. The 15-year, 0.185% sales and use tax, which took effect in January 2025, is projected to generate about $16.7 million a year.
Boulder County hasn’t yet formally responded to their request for funding help.
“Boulder County is aware that the owner of San Lazaro Park Properties has expressed their intention to sell the San Lazaro property and recognizes the importance of this community as a source of affordable housing in Boulder County,” Boulder County spokesperson Gloria Handyside said in a written statement. “Boulder County is looking into the situation regarding the potential sale of the property and is still gathering information to determine how we can best support the residents in their efforts to become a resident-owned community.”
Along with seeking funding from the county, residents said, they plan to appeal to a variety of sources, including the Colorado Department of Local Affairs , the city of Boulder, the Colorado State Housing Board, various foundations, and local employers and investors.
In their appeal to the county, residents detailed the diversity of the community and the importance of preserving affordable housing. Roughly 60% of residents are Latino and about 10% are Bosnian, they say, while the community includes retirees, veterans, people with disabilities, college students and refugees. Some residents have lived there for more than 40 years.
“Itap unique to have a neighborhood thatap so established,” Bellos said. “It wouldn’t just be us moving to a new place. Itap a deep structure of connected people that you can’t replace.”
Amela Aljkanovic, who is Bosnian, has lived at San Lazaro for 21 years, while her husband’s family has lived there for nearly 30 years. She first immigrated to Canada amid conflicts in Bosnia, then moved to Boulder when she married. After first living with family, she said, her neighbors helped her and her husband buy their first home in the park.
“Whatap really great about this place is it feels like a family,” said Aljkanovic, who has four children. “We live next to each other. We support each other. Itap a really tight community. We have our fences, but our fences are never closed. Our kids go in each others’ homes. That reminds me of home in Bosnia. You just show up at the door.”
Susana Rodriguez, a 24-year resident, said she moved to San Lazaro when she got married and is raising her three children there. Her oldest, who is 22, just graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, while her younger two are in middle school and high school. A community leader, she also organizes monthly field trips for the park’s children.
“I love living here,” she said. “Itap not only a place to me. The community, the people take care of each other. Our dream is to become owners to keep it united.”
