Living in Mobile Home Park Should Provide affordable Housing, Not Toxic Mold and Sewage Backups – But for Many Florida Residents, that’s Exactly What They’re Getting.
“The Floor is Coming Up. Mold is Terrible. My Doctor Told Me To Move,” Said One JacksonVille Resident in an Interview With News4Jax. But with a Household Income Under $ 2,000 Monthly and Florida’s Median Rent Hitting $ 1,555, this resident has now now to go.
Don’t miss
“I Can’t Even Begin To Tell You What is Wrong With This House, But There’s No this Trailer,” Said the Resident, Who Requested Anonymy As She Fears Her Landlord May Rent for Speaking Out. “When it Rains, It Rains in the Doors. It Comes Through The Windows. Mold is on the walls. You have to keep Washing the Walls and Bleach Inside.”
Now, Troubling New Report Reveals How Corporate Owners May Be Systematically Neglecting these Communities While Hiking Rents – And Warns of What Potential Mobile Home Park Residents Need to Know Before CONSIDERING THIS INCREASINGLY RISKY HOUSING OPTION.
The Health-Related Costs of “Affordable” Housing
The Study by Health in Partnership and Manufactured Housing Action Paints A Troubling Picture of How Corporate Mobile Home Park Owners Are Transforming Once-Affordable Communities Into Health Hazard.
The Health Concerns Documentated in the Study Include:
-
Contamed Water Causing Illness and Chronic Health Problems.
-
FAILING SEWAGE SYSTEMS CREARING UNSANITARY CONDITIONS.
-
ACCUMULEDED DEBRIS ATRACTING PESTS AND CREATING SAFETY HAZARDS.
-
Crumbling Infrastructure Leading to Dangerous Living Environments.
-
Extensive Mold Triggering Respiratory Problems.
Read More: Want an Extra $ 1,300,000 When You Remove? Dave Ramsey says This 7-Step Plan ‘Works Every Single Time’ To Kill Debt, Get Rich in America – and that ‘anyone’ can do it
The Affordable Housing Trap
What makes this situation particularly Troubling is the Apparent Lack of Alternatives for Mobile Home Park Residents. According to Research from the University of Florida, The Median Rent for Housing Seekers in the State Was $ 1,555 As of July 2024Nearly 20% Higher than the National Averag $ 1.302 In 2024.
More Alamingly, Florida Has Only 26 Affordable Rental Units Available for Every Households with Incomes Lower Than 30% of the Area’s Median Incom. This Shortage of Affordable Housing Creates The Desperate Situation Where Lower-Income Residents Sometimes have no Choice But to Endure Hazardas Living Conditions Rather Than Face Homelessness.
Mobile Home Parks Often Representation One of the Last Options for Stable, Lower-Cost Living in Florida, But Now Some Residents Are Facing Predatory Fees That Are Leading Them To Financial Ruin.
The Same Jacksonville Resident Mentioned Above Also Noted That Her Rent Has Steadily Increured From the Initial $ 800 Agreement. “Well, Now Every Time I Turn Around, There’s More Than That,” She Said, Description AddiThe “Junk Fees” That Kep Appearing on Her Bill. And these mysterious cartoons Affect “Everybody in this neighborhood.”
Another Mobile Home Park Resident, Identified Only As Gerard, Pays $ 700 Monthly Just to Rent the Lot Where Hista Mobile Home Sits – Nearly As Much As Those Who Rent Both the Trailer and the Land.
“I Don’t Think It Should Be Near That High, The Problems We’re Having Out Here Are Terrible,” Gerard Shared with News4Jax. “700 Plus Dollars to Live Here, and I Find That A Lot of Money Just to Park A Trailer. And You Pay Your Own Electric, Your Own Water. There’s no Being Here Here Than Having Your Trailer Parked.”
Florida’s Mobile Home Act Coming Up Short For Residents
Florida’s Statute 723Known As the “Florida Mobile Home Act,” Provides Some Protections for Mobile Home Owners Who Rent Lots in Parks with 10 Or More Spaces. These protections include:
-
Required Disclosures of Fees, Rules and Regulations Before Someone Moves In.
-
Limitations on avoidions to specific leads such as non-Payment, Rules Violations or Change in Land Use.
-
Rights Regarding Improvements to Mobile Homes.
-
Provision for Forming Homeowners’ Associations.
-
Notice Requirements for Lot Rental Increases or Changes in Rules.
But based on Health in Partnership’s Report, These Protections Don’t Seem to the Mobile Home Park Residents.
Report Issues Policy Recommendations
The Health in Partnership’s “Home Sick” Report Offices The Following Policy Recommendations Based on ITS Findings:
-
Strengthen Housing Standards Through Licensing, Inspectations and Accountability Mechanisms.
-
Protect Residents with Rent Regulations, Good-Cause Eviction Policies and Anti-Petalization Measures.
-
Promote Community-Friendly Ownership with Funding and Transition Policies.
-
Address Corporate Speculation via Zoning Regulations, Portfolio Caps, Divestment and Queenation.
Practical Tips to Protect Mobile Home Residents
So, What Can Those Who May Be Consideering Into Manufactured Housing of To Protect Themselves? If you’re Considering Manufactured Housing as an affordable option in flowery (or anywhere else for that matter), here are some important considerations:
-
Understand the Park’s Ownership Structure. In Most Mobile Home Parks, You Own The Home But Rent The Land, Creating A UNique Legal Relationship.
-
Research The Park Owner. Corporate-owned parks may have different priorities than locally owned communities.
-
Inspest the unit thoroughly Before Buying or Renting. Look for Signs of Water Damage, Mold, Structural Issues and Infrastructure Problems.
-
Review All Fees and Rules of the Unit and Park. Get A Clear Picture of Lot Rent, Utility Charges and Any Other Fees Before Committing.
-
Check for Homeowners’ Association (Hoa). Active Hoas Can Provide Collective Bargaining Power With Park Owners.
-
Understand Your Rights. Familiar Yourself with the Florida Mobile Home Act to Know Your Legal Protections.
-
Verify insurance options. Mobile Homes Often Require Specialized Insurance That Can Be More Expensive.
-
Have an exit strategy. BE AWARE THAT SELLING A MOBILE HOME IN A PARK CAN BE MORE CHALLENGING THAN SELLING A TRADITIONAL HOME.
What to Read Next
Like What you read? Join 200,000+ Readers and Get the Best of Moneywise Straight to Your Inbox Every Week. Subscribe is free.
This article provides information only and should not be construction as Advice. It is provided with Without Warranty of Any Kind.