Lang
12/25/19
A Johnson County task force assembled after recent rate hikes at local mobile home parks has released its findings.
The task force was assembled after complaints from residents at four recently-purchased mobile home parks: Sunrise Mobile Homes in Iowa City, Western Hill Estates in Coralville, Golfview Estates in North Liberty and West Branch Village. The four were purchased by Havenpark Capital of Utah, which promptly raised rents by as much as 58%. Havenpark agreed to stagger the raises over time after complaints from residents.
The task force was headed by Sara Barron of the Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition. Its members interviewed mobile home park residents and owners, as well as government representatives, representatives from area nonprofit agencies, and State Senator Zach Wahls of Coralville. Wahls has called for an end to what he calls “predatory” practices from companies like Havenpark.
According to the Press-Citizen, the task force made a dozen recommendations. They include making rental or relocation assistance available to those affected by steep increases, partnering with local banks to back loans to those affected, establishing TIF districts to help mobile home residents fund the purchase of their communities through resident co-ops, various changes to and strengthening of zoning ordinances, regular assessments of manufactured housing communities, divesting from companies that participate in predatory practices, partnering with groups that assist residents in forming co-ops that would purchase manufactured housing communities, and tax credits that incentivize transferring ownership to residents.