An unidentified buyer has bid the full price of $42.5 million for San Lazaro Mobile Home Park, prompting hundreds of Colorado residents to rush to purchase the community themselves, according to Boulder Reporting Lab.
For families in the park, the stakes are immediate. A new owner could introduce rent hikes, force people out, or end the neighborhood that has been part of Boulder County for decades.
What's happening?
The park's 800-plus residents had already been organizing to purchase San Lazaro themselves, but as Boulder Reporting Lab noted, that effort became far more urgent Aug. 10, when they learned that an undisclosed buyer had made an offer matching the full asking price.
The clock is now running on their last chance for resident ownership. Colorado law requires that residents be given an opportunity to buy their mobile home park when it goes up for sale. Because the initial 120-day period to make an offer ended in July, they only have another 120-day window to submit a counteroffer. That deadline is Dec. 8.
Little is known publicly about the competing bidder. David Eisenstein, an attorney for the current owner, said nondisclosure agreements bar him from naming the buyer or discussing any plans for the property, per Boulder Reporting Lab.
At the same time, residents are trying to build a financing package that could meet the $42.5 million price. As of Friday, they had raised over $10,000. They are also pursuing a $15 million ROC USA Loan and $2 million through Colorado's Proposition 123, which would leave them with another $25.5 million to close the gap.
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Why does it matter?
People who live in mobile home parks often own their homes but not the land underneath them, leaving them exposed when outside investors buy the property. Because relocating a manufactured home can cost thousands of dollars, many families have few realistic options if lot rents jump.
Residents said San Lazaro is a major part of Boulder County's unsubsidized affordable housing supply. In a letter to county commissioners, they called the park "affordable housing at a steal" and said losing it would be a serious blow to working families, seniors, and children already struggling in a harsh housing market, according to Boulder Reporting Lab.
A 2024 Boulder Watershed Collective study cited by the outlet found that about half of San Lazaro residents are housing cost-burdened, spending more than one-third of their income on housing. Even modest rent increases, residents say, could drive families from the area and interrupt jobs, school routines, and long-standing community relationships.
What's being done?
Residents have been asking for help from state, county, and city officials, along with nonprofits, saying financial support for a resident purchase would preserve existing affordable housing.
According to Boulder Reporting Lab, county commissioners directed staff to prepare a letter of intent after an Aug. 11 meeting, during which more than 80 residents advocated for saving San Lazaro. While they didn't commit any money, this may be a sign that additional support is on the way.
For residents like Diana Briones, the fight is personal. She warned that the outcome of the bid could impact the character of the community for years to come.
"These are people who are working in your kitchens, who are helping your kids. Losing our homes would make us go further out and have to look for different jobs, different schools," Briones said.
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