{"id":38812,"date":"2022-08-19T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-19T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/in-durango-visit-hickenlooper-calls-for-rent-and-eviction-protections-at-national-level\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T02:46:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:46:28","slug":"in-durango-visit-hickenlooper-calls-for-rent-and-eviction-protections-at-national-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/in-durango-visit-hickenlooper-calls-for-rent-and-eviction-protections-at-national-level\/","title":{"rendered":"In Durango visit, Hickenlooper calls for rent and eviction protections at national level"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"U.S.
U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, center, tours the Westside Mobile Park on Thursday with park residents Alejandra Chavez, to his right, Juana Chavez, to his left and Tom Vigil far right, as Danny Quilin, a court and medical interpreter, translates as they walk through the park. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper toured Durango on Thursday to hear the stories of Westside Mobile Park residents who rallied to keep their homes, learn about Durango School District 9-R\u2019s electric bus program and view progress of electrifying homes at the Animas View Mobile Home Park in the Animas Valley.<\/p>\n

Hickenlooper has pushed for rent and eviction protection for mobile home residents since he was Colorado\u2019s governor. In 2019, he signed the Mobile Home Park Act Oversight into law, which granted mobile home owners more protections. It extended the time between notices of rent nonpayment and cancellation of rent agreements and extended the time between eviction notices and eviction dates.<\/p>\n

\"Westside
Westside Mobile Park residents hold signs during a visit by U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper on Thursday at the park. The senator visited the park to hear residents\u2019 stories of buying the mobile home park. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Now, Hickenlooper is calling for the same protections at the national level. On Thursday, the senator told residents at Westside Mobile Park he is glad they stood up for their homes because they deserve \u201ca fair chance rather than some investor in New York buying their home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut now we have in Colorado protection against eviction,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to have that at a national level. So I think that\u2019s the next step.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Westside
Westside Mobile Park residents and local officials gather and listen to U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper on Thursday at the park. Hickenlooper congratulated the residents for standing up for their right to housing security after their efforts to purchase the mobile home park. He said mobile home park residents need protections at the federal level from unfair rent increases and evictions. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Earlier this month, Hickenlooper joined Sen. Michael Bennet and 17 other members of Congress in a letter<\/a> to Sandra Thompson, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, seeking stronger protections for mobile home park residents with federal backing, according to a news release.<\/p>\n

The letter signers advocated for \u201cfirst right of refusal,\u201d or a contractual right for mobile home park residents to have a chance to buy their properties from an owner. They also asked that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, federally backed mortgage companies, prioritize mobile home park properties that already support protections for tenants. Finally, they asked to strengthen protections for tenants with longer-term leases.<\/p>\n

Westside residents share their stories<\/div>\n

Westside Mobile Park residents were faced with possible eviction in December, but with help from Elevation Community Land Trust, La Plata County, the Local First nonprofit, Compa\u00f1eros: Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center and other organizations, they were able to form a cooperative and secure the money needed to buy the mobile park property and save their homes<\/a> in perpetuity.<\/p>\n

Alejandra Chavez, Westside park manager, co-op co-founder and park resident of over 20 years, said it was a \u201ctrue honor\u201d to play a role in securing the mobile park for its residents. She was able to help her own family as well as other residents and ensure their place in the mobile home park.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t easy. But united, we made the effort,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd everyone supported us along the way. But I want to thank my neighbors, people from the county, Compa\u00f1eros and other organizations that I\u2019m not remembering right now. But thank you from the bottom of my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayra Gallardo, another park resident, recounted her experience facing eviction from Westside in December when she was pregnant. The eviction would have been her second eviction. She was also pregnant during her first eviction.<\/p>\n

\"Mayra
Mayra Gallardo, a resident of Westside Mobile Park, holds her baby, Jade, after speaking Thursday during a visit from U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper and other officials. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cIt was a process where we had to pay for a hotel, we had to pay for storage for our things,\u201d she said of the first eviction. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have a place to live. It was a very difficult, very hard, very sad experience. And because of that I lost my baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said she remembered feeling the same dreadful sensation and thinking, \u201cHere we are in this same situation again.\u201d She worried for her baby.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thought that we could again be (stuck) without a place to live really devastated me and my family,\u201d she said. \u201cBut thankfully, we all came together, all of the neighbors here, and we supported each other like a family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Tiana
Tiana Patterson, public partnerships and legal director for Elevation Community Land Trust, speaks to a group of residents at Westside Mobile Park and local officials on Thursday during a visit by U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Tiana Patterson, public partnerships and legal director for Elevation, said just four days before Westside residents\u2019 chance to purchase the mobile home park was set to expire, they managed to form a coalition of community members and state partners to assemble short-term loans to put toward a cash offer. It was risky business, but they pulled it off.<\/p>\n

She said the whole experience was humbling, and Hickenlooper\u2019s efforts as governor for rent and eviction protections for mobile home residents \u201cset the stage for why we are here today, preserving mobile home parks for affordable housing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Alejandra
Alejandra Chavez, a resident and co-manager of Westside Mobile Park, shares a laugh with La Plata County Commissioner Marsha Porter-Norton on Thursday during a visit to the park by U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper and other officials. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

La Plata County Commissioner Marsha Porter-Norton said the county received $10.9 million in American Rescue Plan Act money and approved $3.3 million \u201cfor social and economic and health impacts\u201d just last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cSen. Hickenlooper and Sen. Bennet worked really hard for that money,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat is very important is they worked really hard to make sure that we could use it in a flexible way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Jon
Jon Kenney, center, with La Plata Electric Association, explains a state-of-the-art water heater on Thursday to U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, right, that LPEA installed in the mobile home belonging to John Egan, left, on Thursday during a tour of the home. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Hickenlooper also visited the Animas View Mobile Home Park to observe how the homes are undergoing an electrification process \u2013 that is, shifting away from oil and gas energy sources to electrical ones.<\/p>\n

Jon Kenney, energy management adviser at La Plata Electric Association, discussed implications of the electrification project with the senator.<\/p>\n

9-R\u2019s Vehicle 2 Grid electric bus program<\/div>\n

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 championed by Democrats in Congress, including Hickenlooper, was signed into law earlier this week and dedicates $369 billion to fighting climate change<\/a> by providing tax credits of up to $7,500 per electric vehicle and other credits to incentivize greener energy technologies, according to Colorado Newsline.<\/p>\n

\"U.S.
U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper sits behind the wheel of Durango School District 9-R\u2019s electric school bus on Thursday during a briefing of the V2G project at the school district\u2019s bus barn. Durango School District 9-R partnered with La Plata Electric Association to activate the electric-powered school bus in January that can also discharge unneeded power back into LPEA\u2019s electric grid. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Hickenlooper called the multibillion dollar spending package a \u201cgood start\u201d as he inspected Durango School District 9-R\u2019s electric vehicle and charging station.<\/p>\n

The bus emits zero fuel emissions, is battery powered and can discharge kilowatts back into a power grid<\/a> when not in use, Superintendent Karen Cheser explained to the senator as his entourage rode the electric school bus to its charging station at the bus barn.<\/p>\n

The bus uses \u201cbi-chargable vehicle technology\u201d that can intake and discharge kilowatts back into the power grid. The process is called vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology and is provided by Nuvve Holding Corp., LPEA officials told The Durango Herald<\/em> in January. V2G technology allows vehicles such as the electric bus to match power demand with available supply by returning power to the grid or adjusting its charging rate.<\/p>\n

The electric bus is expected to save the school district thousands of dollars in maintenance costs annually. Dominic May, energy resource program architect with LPEA, said the plan is to line the bus yard with charging stations and one day convert all the school district\u2019s buses to electric vehicles.<\/p>\n

cburney@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Jessica
Jessica Matlock, CEO at La Plata Electric Association, fourth from right, sitting next to U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, leads a roundtable discussion about LPEA\u2019s efforts in solar installations, workforce issues and affordable housing on Thursday at Animas View Mobile Home Park. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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