Phillips Mobile Home Park could see rent increases in 2027

Residents of Phillips Mobile Home Park in Woody Creek could see their monthly rent increase after the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners discussed those changes at a meeting Tuesday. 

The board signaled support Tuesday for raising monthly rents from $430 to $550 in 2027, but will wait until Oct. 14 to make a final decision. 

Housing Program Analyst Andrew Miller said that tenants would need to be notified of an increase by Nov. 2. He called rent increases “the most time sensitive item that we bring to you.”

The rent discussions come as construction began at the mobile home park Sept. 1, which includes site grading, installation of best management practices and establishment of the staging yard. Wastewater treatment facility excavation is scheduled to begin later this month, followed by sanitary sewer installation and demolition of the existing ranch house, according to the presentation. 

Tenants can also expect brush removal and earthmoving work across areas outside of the existing mobile home park. 

The work marks a turning point for the mobile home park, which the county purchased in February 2018 for $6.5 million. According to a staff report, the county purchased the property with “the goal of preserving naturally occurring affordable housing for the benefit of the whole community.”

But beyond preserving existing units, staff have had a long-term goal of adding 40 additional units, bringing the mobile home park to a total of roughly 70 units — an expansion that has been controversial.

This spring, the board pushed forward with the project even after the Planning and Zoning Commission found that the plan was not in compliance with the Woody Creek Master Plan or the Down Valley Comprehensive Plan. But commissioners said the need for the project was urgent due to “rapidly deteriorating and dangerous infrastructure.” 

Phillips currently charges $430 per month to locate their mobile home on Pitkin County land. This includes services such as water, sewer, property management and trash. But, according to the staff report, rental rates at Phillips are well below market rates for Pitkin County and Roaring Fork River Valley as a whole. Cavern Springs outside of Glenwood Springs charges $965 per month, while the Aspen-Basalt Mobile Home Park charges $1,555 per month. 

“What does the BOCC want to accomplish by raising rents?” Assistant County Manager of Community Relations Ashley Perl asked. 

Staff initially presented three rent increase options to consider: Under option one, rent would rise by $120 immediately, followed by a 5% annual increase. Under option two, which drew majority support, rent would raise rent by $120 to $550 per month in 2027, followed by a 10% annual increase. Under option three, it would increase by 20% every year. 

The various options would gradually reduce the amount that county taxpayers subsidize the park’s operating costs.The county has budgeted $426,000 in 2026 for Phillips, not including any new construction, according to the staff report. The county’s monthly cost is around $1,000 per unit per month. 

Commissioner Patti Clapper said she’d support reducing the subsidy. 

“I’d like to leave it at that amount, but prices are going up,” said Clapper. “I’m comfortable with option two, which would be increasing rent by $120.”

Commissioner Francie Jacober also preferred the second option.

“If we went with that kind of rate increase yearly … I think people could understand that pretty clearly and maybe see it as fair,” she said. “Options one and three might be a little drastic.” 

But Commissioner Greg Poschman raised concerns about equity, for both the residents of Phillips and other mobile home parks in the county.

“I kind of want to invite Aspen Village and other rental areas to ask for a larger subsidy,” he said. “I’m concerned about equity across the board.”

Clapper cautioned that giving out too many subsidies would be financially risky. 

“I understand that Aspen Village wants us to subsidize their new wastewater system,” she said, “but we’ve been helping out other mobile home parks in other ways without cash subsidies.” 

She added, “We’d be running in a deficit if we were to do that.”

The decision is complicated by Phillips’ unusual arrangement, in which the mobile home park is owned by the government.

“We’re the only government in the state of Colorado that does that,” Perl said. “We are in a tricky situation because we’re a government running a mobile home park and we’re not trying to make a profit.” 

The board will reconvene later this month to settle on a final decision in order to notify tenants by Nov. 2, with a resolution for a first or emergency reading scheduled for the Oct. 14 regular meeting.