Bugs and black mold: What some mobile home park residents see after investors buy in

Key Points:

• Aliea Brown and her partner faced severe living conditions, including black mold, sewage leaks, and pest infestations, in a rented mobile home at Buck Island Manufactured Home Community in Mississippi, owned by Homes of America, an investment firm affiliate of Alden Global Capital.
• Homes of America is transitioning its mobile home parks from rentals to owner-occupied units, offering residents dilapidated homes for purchase at low prices, but many, like Brown, cannot afford to buy or relocate, leading to evictions.
• Nationwide, large corporations and investment firms have increasingly acquired mobile home communities, leading to rent hikes, reduced maintenance, and strained relations with residents, disproportionately impacting low-income and vulnerable populations.
• A former Homes of America manager filed a lawsuit alleging company practices of concealing mold, targeting low-income renters for occupancy, and pushing an "Abandoned Trailer" scheme to offload costly repairs onto buyers of rundown units.
• Some states are beginning to enact laws to protect mobile home residents, such as Maine's right of first refusal for park purchases and Michigan's pending legislation to increase regulation, though federal protections remain limited.