Autumn Brooks, a resident and Board Treasurer of Dumont Community Cooperative, hit the ground running after receiving a notice that the current owner of Valli Hi Mobile Home Park intended to sell. She first reached out to state representatives, and then she started talking to her neighbors and organizing the community. After many months of hard work, that early organizing has paid off as Dumont Community Cooperative is the new owner of their Mobile Home Community.
Autumn shared how the community came together to achieve this, “We are proof that if we work together, we can do great things! We went from fear of losing our homes to now keeping our families and our community together.” Brooks added, “Becoming a Resident Owned Community (ROC) was the best way to be able to save and preserve our truly affordable housing options, and protected ourselves from predatory owners/lenders while protecting what we have.”
In 2020, Colorado legislation passed a law that allows residents of mobile home parks to organize, find funding, and submit an offer to an owner to purchase the community. As affordable housing is becoming increasingly difficult to find across the state, this law provides residents with valuable time to pursue the opportunity to purchase their communities. Most mobile home parks are made up of residents who own their homes, but they rent the land that the home rests on. Renting the land can leave residents at risk of high rent increases, which can lead to evictions. When a community is able to become a Resident Owned Community as Dumont Community Cooperative has done, it empowers the residents to make key decisions such as infrastructure improvements, determining rent, and community rules.
Don Stevens, a residents and Board Vice President of Dumont Community Cooperative, was excited about becoming a ROC and building on the already strong community that lives there. “I'm glad we were able to purchase it and keep our homes. It's a good community and everyone is happy to live here.” Stevens went on to share about improvements the community is planning to make, “Now that we do own it, we can start improving the community and fixing items to make it look more aesthetically pleasing. Items like fixing up the roads and the retaining wall, and overall, just trying to make our park more beautiful.”
Throughout the process, residents of Dumont Community Cooperative worked closely with Thistle Community Housing, a nonprofit in Boulder, Colorado, which provided guidance through the purchase process and will continue to offer technical assistance throughout the 10-year loan term. Thistle’s Program Director, Tim Townsend, praised the resilience of the community. “Congratulations to the resilient residents of Dumont Community Cooperative! Your commitment and teamwork have turned the dream of ownership into reality. By coming together, you’ve transformed the fear of losing your homes into a celebration of stability and empowerment. Becoming a Resident Owned Community means you now have the control to protect your affordable housing, preserve your community, and create a secure future for everyone. Your dedication to this journey is inspiring, and it’s a powerful example of what can be achieved when a community unites. Here’s to a bright future filled with growth and prosperity for Dumont’s resident owners!”
Emily Thaden, ROC USA President, commended the homeowners and their supporters.
"This is an inspiring story of collaboration, perseverance and participation for the homeowners at Dumont Community Cooperative," Thaden said. "With a lack of housing in this very mountainous area of Colorado, it's not a surprise that homeowners are taking ownership of the land when presented with the opportunity. I am so impressed with the work the community and Thistle have done. Their hard work has paid off with long-term security for this group of homeowners. This community will help future generations of homeowners in Dumont."
“With affordable places to live so scarce in communities like Dumont, it was essential to secure financing that would protect the homeowners’ future,” said Michael Sloss, Managing Director of ROC USA Capital. “Working with community leaders who are so deeply invested in preserving their homes and neighborhood is so rewarding, and I’m thrilled we could provide a pathway to long-term affordability and stability, ensuring this community remains a place where people can thrive for years to come. ROC USA Capital's $12 million partnership with the State Dept. of Local Affairs was also leveraged for Dumont to help deliver low-cost acquisition financing to the homeowners."