I used to be听wealthy.听I听had听a big house. But听I got divorced听and听became a single mom.听听
My听daughters are very听smart,听and they finished high school听early.听I was excited听because I听saved听$300听for college books.听But I听didn鈥檛听realize听how听expensive books听were.听Two cost $681,听and I didn't have听the听money.听听听
I will never forget my daughter crying,听鈥淏ut Mommy,听you never say听鈥榥o.鈥欌�澨�
I听just听couldn't support听a听big听house听as听a single mom, so听I moved听to听a听little听apartment. There were so many听charges鈥損arking,听trash, sewer鈥搕hat I decided听the apartment wasn鈥檛 going to听work听either.听 A woman听wanted to听get rid of听her听mobile home (in听Denver Meadows听Mobile and听RV Park in Aurora, Colorado) and听sold听it to me (in 2013)听for $10,000 in payments of $500 a month. The land听rent听was $600;听$1,100 for both,听including the water and the sewer.听听
I听was听like,听鈥淚听can do听it;听I can pay听for听college.鈥澨�
But I didn't know that the听house was in听really bad听condition.听There was an听infestation of roaches听and nothing worked. If听I听used听the blender, I had听to disconnect the refrigerator.听Same if I blow dried听my hair.听
Slowly听I听fixed听everything.听 I felt peaceful knowing听I could听cover听college for my two girls.听
A听year and a half after I听moved听into听the mobile home,听I found out our听landlord was submitting a request for rezoning to commercial.听At听that听time, the residents听didn't know what that meant, so we began听educating听ourselves.听
I remember very clearly听when we realized we were going to lose our homes.听
I became increasingly听involved because most residents听were听Hispanic鈥搒ome undocumented鈥揳nd most didn't speak English. I was able to communicate with them.听We had听many issues with the landlord听taking advantage of听people in the听community, so听we notified 听(a听nonprofit that helped听organize residents to fight the eviction).听9to5 let us know听what we needed to do. We听wrote more than 60 letters听to city councilors, and in that first hearing for rezoning,听more than 200 people showed up.听At the hearing,听the city councilors听asked the听landlord to bring a relocation plan for us.听 After many attempts the landlord听said,听鈥淭he only thing you听can get from me听is a听recommendation听to move your听homes."
That鈥檚 when听I became the听community听leader.听After听we formed the HOA,听we听had听more people power.听I was nominated听president.听Over听time,听we were making so much noise that we had听the media behind us:听Telemundo,听Denver听Post, Univision, Fox31,听Denver7 News.听听
It wasn't听difficult to get others听involved听for one听reason: Everybody鈥�130 families鈥搘ere听losing听their听homes.听听We didn't have any other option but to fight.听
There was听history in that听park. People听who听had lived听there听for听25听years. Some residents听got married while living there, and now they鈥檙e听grandparents.听A lot of single moms, elder people, adults听and听kids with disabilities.听People听with听medical needs and听low-income听families.听听
But it听was听difficult to coordinate听meetings because most people had听two jobs,听maybe more.听So,听we had听to use our creativity.听We formed a听committee to听knock on doors and inform the residents听what happened during听the meetings.听
We made听an offer to the landlord (*)听for $20.5听million, but he听said, 鈥淣o.鈥澨� (The landlord's asking price was $35 million.) Then there weren鈥檛听any听laws听to protect mobile听home听owners. We knew that time was our worst enemy and that sooner or later we'd听have to leave.听Some听residents had already left.听
Then the landlord听expressed to听us that in听his听鈥済enerosity,鈥澨齢e would听leave the听park听open another two years.听We found out听later that听he owned听a lot of听the听homes.听He left the park open听because he wanted to collect the money.听Most听residents听made听their听last payments听in听May.听In听June听they closed the听park, so those families听only听had听one month听of home ownership.听At that听time Colorado听didn't have any laws听to bring听transparency to the process.听
A lot of the听residents left their homes behind.听Their houses were very old, and they couldn鈥檛 move them.听 My home could be moved, and I sold it听for $9,000鈥�$1,000 less听from听when I purchased it, and听I used the money for a downpayment for听an apartment.听听I didn't have other options because听it would听cost around听$23,000 to move my house.听 Like me, most people听were听thinking, "better to get a couple thousand听than to get nothing" because they听didn't have $25,000 to move their homes.听
I live in a house now.听 But I continue to work in mobile home communities because听of听what happened to me and my听neighbors. I am still in contact with some of听them, and听they still struggle to find听affordable housing.听 Mobile听homes are听one of the biggest听options听for affordable houses and, as we know, mobile听homes are not听portable.
My role now听is to help underrepresented voices be听heard and听to inform, educate and empower park听residents through trainings with the organization 9to5. I also offer听45-minute workshops听every week with community leaders, and we discuss听the subjects they want to address, for example, snow removal or park听infrastructure.听
During the pandemic听people have helped each other.听I want to build on that听momentum鈥搒o that听diverse cultures continue to work together.听
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*Denver Meadows residents tried to buy the park property themselves and become a resident-owned community (ROC)听. Thistle is a private, nonprofit organization that develops and manages affordable housing options in Boulder County.
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