Sen. Hickenlooper visits El Jebel Mobile Home Park, discusses urgent affordable housing crisis

Sen. John Hickenlooper visited the El Jebel Mobile Home Park on Thursday, where he engaged with residents and non-profit leaders to discuss the urgent affordable housing crisis and the challenges faced by mobile home park residents, including steep rent increases and environmental concerns.

Voces Unidas, a Roaring Fork Valley non-profit dedicated to empowering the Latino and Hispanic communities in Colorado’s central mountain region, facilitated the discussion with him. The conversation focused on the disparity in affordable housing availability for various essential workers.

A poignant question highlighted the lack of affordable housing options for hospitality, tourism, and construction workers, despite the presence of such options for teachers, police officers, and firefighters.

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Hickenlooper acknowledged the broader community concern.

“That is the question that many, many people in the valley ask, and just not Latinos,” he said. “So many wealthy people want to live here because of the natural beauty.”

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He also admitted that current first-time buyer programs and subsidies are insufficient for many potential homeowners.

“There are first-time buyer programs out there, but the subsidies are not large enough for many people to buy a house,” he explained.

Although he did not have a definitive solution, he emphasized ongoing efforts to explore more affordable housing construction methods, particularly in mountain towns. He noted that while mobile homes present a viable affordable housing option, they are more likely to be located in areas like Rifle rather than Aspen.

Mobile home parks play a critical role in Colorado’s affordable housing landscape, offering 100,000 units, particularly in mountain and rural areas. However, recent acquisitions by hedge funds have led to significant rent hikes, displacing many families.

A resident of the Apple Tree Mobile Home Park in New Castle voiced a severe concern about water quality in neighborhoods like hers, saying, “I have to buy water to drink, bathe, and cook with.”

Hickenlooper expressed concern, noting that water cleanliness is a widespread issue, even in parts of Denver. He mentioned that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, passed during President Biden’s first term, has allocated $20 to $30 million to address such issues, attributing the problem to outdated pipe systems managed by the state of Colorado.

He also discussed the Right of First Refusal Act (RFR), highlighting Colorado’s pro-active stance on enabling mobile home park residents to own their land.

“When you own the park as a collaborative, you can invest money into it, and you are investing in your future,” he said.

He then criticized out-of-state investors who purchase parks only to raise rents. Instituted in October 2022, Colorado House Bill 22-1287 grants mobile home park residents a 120-day window to buy their parks if they are listed for sale.

Westley Crouch covers the City of Aspen and general reporting for The Aspen Times. He can be reached at 970-384-9124 or wcrouch@aspentimes.com.