BOULDER, Colo. -- A group of Boulder mobile home park residents have appealed to the City of Boulder to help some of their neighbors pay their rent once a rent increase goes into effect Monday.

Residents at the Orchard Grove mobile home park, which residents called one of the poorest communities in Boulder, will have to pay $75 more in rent starting Monday, which some said could be devastating for those on fixed incomes.

"For some of the very low-income people here, many of whom are disabled, elderly, on fixed incomes, as the lot rents increase, they may be forced out of the park and possibly out of Boulder," said Mark Robbins, who has lived at Orchard Grove for almost 30 years.

"It's heartbreaking," said Rita Bowman, another resident. "As a community we don't want to let that happen."

So Bowman and a handful of other residents set up a fund for the roughly 50 families who make about $14,000 a year and cannot afford the increase.

In an unusual move, they also asked the city council to use a rental assistance program to temporarily subsidize the rent increase for the neediest. Residents hope subsidies will tide them over until they can get the financial backing to buy Orchard Grove and turn it into a cooperative homeowners association.

"We're very independent," said Bowman. "We are not asking for a handout."

Residents have asked the city to turn a number of Orchard Grove lots into permanent affordable housing, which Robbins said would kill two birds with one stone.

"We're offering them the opportunity to protect some of the lowest-income, most vulnerable people and, at the same time, add to their stock of subsidized, permanently affordable housing," he said.

Robbins said turning the existing homes into affordable housing would be cheaper than building new affordable housing.

City council member Ken Wilson said the council sent a directive to the city manager authorizing subsidies for some Orchard Grove residents. Wilson said he was not certain how much would be authorized or for how long and that the final decision would be up to the city manager.

Speaking to our partners at the Daily Camera, Boulder mayor Matt Appelbaum expressed some reservations about how effective rent subsidies would be.

"You hate to see people unable to stay in their homes, especially the most susceptible," said Appelbaum. "It's just a little unclear how much help we can provide and whether that help is meaningful."

The Orchard Grove has set up a fund to help vulnerable residents pay rent. The fund is sponsored by the Emergency Family Assistance Association. To donate, visit www.efaa.org and click on "donate online" or mail checks to Emergency Family Assistance, 1575 Yarmouth Ave. Boulder, CO 80304.