Challenges Mount for Residents as Manufactured Home Communities Change

Since renting Unit 62 at Buck Island Manufactured Home Community in northern Mississippi in 2023, Aliea Brown faced numerous challenges. The front door was installed incorrectly, black mold spread throughout, and windows weren’t sealed properly. Termites and ladybugs invaded. A sewer pipe burst in winter, raising the water bill and causing sewage to accumulate beneath the unit.

“The rancid sewage smell came up through the cracks in the edge of the floor in the bathroom,” said Brown, 41.

Brown and her partner, Mason Obradovich, pay $675 monthly for the home. They repeatedly requested repairs but received little help. In February, Homes of America, which owns the park, informed Brown the mobile home’s repair costs exceeded its value, making it unavailable for rent.

Buck Island offered to sell the home to Brown for $1,000, using her security deposit as part of the payment. The park is shifting to a policy where residents must own their units. Brown and Obradovich declined the offer, and they received an eviction notice for April 30. They struggled to find alternative housing due to financial constraints and disabilities.

Their experience highlights broader issues facing mobile home residents nationwide. Approximately 22 million people, often with limited incomes, live in mobile home communities. These properties, once affordable, are increasingly owned by large corporations, raising rents and fees and lowering service standards.

NBC News interviewed residents from Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, and New Hampshire. They reported problems after investment firms or corporations acquired their communities. Rent and fees climbed, maintenance declined, and management relationships deteriorated.

“Some of the new owners seem to deal with their residents in a fairer way and some are just ruthless,” said John Calabrese, president of the Florida Federation of Manufactured Home Owners.

Homes of America owns 170 manufactured housing communities in 22 states, including Buck Island. It’s an affiliate of Alden Global Capital, known for buying newspapers, selling assets, and cutting staff. The company declined to comment on Brown’s situation.

In the wider mobile home landscape, there are 7.2 million such homes across the U.S., comprising 5.4% of the national housing supply. Many residents are seniors, people with disabilities, or families with limited resources. While purchasing a manufactured home is less expensive than a single-family home, the cost is rising. The average new mobile home cost $131,200 in 2025, compared to $530,000 for a single-family home.

Policy responses vary. President Donald Trump proposed limiting institutional investment in housing. However, no specific protections exist for mobile home purchases. Some states are acting independently. Maine introduced laws granting residents purchase rights when their parks go up for sale. Michigan is considering increased regulation of mobile home parks to protect residents.

Aliea Brown’s case isn’t isolated. A lawsuit filed by former Homes of America employee Elvin Zapata alleges the company concealed mold and targeted vulnerable renters for eviction. Their “Abandoned Trailer” strategy involves selling low-cost, neglected units to avoid repair costs.

Communities like Greenmount Station in Illinois have seen conditions worsen under corporate ownership. Resident Jim Hodgkins described declining property maintenance and increased eviction pressures. Buying his unit was his only defense against uprooting his daughter.

Brown and Obradovich sought assistance from the state nonprofit Housing Education and Economic Development (HEED). A HEED letter to Buck Island’s management criticized the lack of maintenance, classifying the home as uninhabitable. The park offered alternative units, but they were in similar disrepair. Facing eviction, the couple continues to work with Legal Aid.

“We don’t have the credit or money to go anywhere else,” Brown stated.