Rent remains steady at recently purchased mobile home parks — until late spring 2026

The Aspen-Basalt and Mountain Valley Mobile Home Parks became resident-owned communities after they purchased the ground underneath their homes in October following the previous owner’s sale listing of the two parks in March. During the ensuing spring and summer, local governments, local businesses, and locals all made massive contributions toward the purchase, ultimately accruing $16 million. 

However, the Roaring Fork Valley governments, businesses, and local contributions did not meet the $20 million goal that was set for the project at the onset, with the goal of keeping rent at an affordable level for all park residents.  

The $16 million was enough to close on the sale, but will mean that many residents will see a higher rent increase than they were hoping for, but not until late spring 2026.  

According to Eber Silva, board president at the Mountain Valley Mobile Home Park, eventually, the two communities will pay rent of around $1,500 per month, though the exact number for both communities is not yet clear. 

“For years now, we’ve been seeing rents slowly going up and now we’re pushing $1,000,” Silva said. “Some people are already at that 1,400 or 1,500 mark, so there is a feeling of security — they can see that long term stability.” 

Because the previous owners increased rent on the park’s residents in 2025, Colorado law prevents another rent increase from taking place in the same year. The adjusted “rent,” which will operate similarly to a mortgage according to previous reporting by The Aspen Times, will not hit residents’ bank accounts until 2026. 

In the meantime, the West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition, a local housing nonprofit that was heavily involved with the fundraising and deed restriction portion of the resident-owned community purchase, is working on a rental assistance fund to soften the monthly balance increase for some community members in the parks. 

“We had some donations that came in to the Housing Coalition that we are holding in reserve for those parks for rental assistance,” April Long, Executive Director of the West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition, said. “Their lot rents went up, and in some cases, went up significantly. We want to be able to provide them with assistance from those donations, to bring those lot rents back down.” 

Following the closing of the ROC purchase of the two parks in October, WMRHC received some late contributions toward the sale that could not be put toward the actual purchase. Those funds were put aside for a future rent assistance program for the residents of the two parks that need it most. The details of the program have not been finalized, but the WMRHC currently has $30,000 for the program and hopes to have around $100,000 before it begins distributing rental assistance funds. 

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