Mobile homes — also known as manufactured homes — play a much bigger role in affordable housing than most people realize. They’re often the cheapest path to having your own place, especially for people who can’t afford traditional homeownership. But the system around mobile home parks are complicated, and lately, it’s been getting a lot tougher for the people who live in them.
Manufactured homes, or mobile homes, are built in factories and delivered to the site where people will live — usually a mobile home park. Despite the name, they rarely get moved again, because relocating them is extremely expensive and often risky. For many low- to moderate-income families, retirees, and people looking for a more affordable option, these homes fill a big gap in the housing market. Typically, residents own the home itself but rent the land underneath it, paying monthly “lot rent” to the park owner. Industry trends and statistics show 20.6 million people in the U.S. live in a manufactured or mobile home, making these communities a major part of the housing landscape.
But even though mobile homes offer affordability, they come with some real challenges. Older units — especially those from the ’60s and ’70s — often need big repairs, and these upgrades can be pricey. Park owners may also drag their feet on maintaining the property or infrastructure. Tenant protection laws also vary widely, often giving manufactured home residents fewer rights than traditional renters. This leaves them vulnerable, as park owners manage the land, but residents are responsible for maintaining their homes.
The biggest risk in recent years is the increasing purchase of mobile home parks by private equity firms and large investors. Many parks used to be small, family-owned businesses, but now they’re treated as high-performing corporate assets. Investors often raise lot rents and add new fees because they know most residents can’t move their homes — it can cost tens of thousands of dollars, if it’s even possible at all. This “value-add” strategy boosts profits while trapping residents financially, making these parks extremely attractive to investors. Today, it is estimated about one in five mobile home parks in the U.S. is owned by institutional investors.
With park sales increasing, state policies have struggled to keep up. Only 22 states require park owners to give residents advance notice before selling, and even then, the rules are pretty minimal. Still, some states are finally stepping in with safeguards to help residents stay put — and sometimes even take ownership. For example, Maine recently passed a law giving residents the first opportunity to buy their park and introduced a fee for out-of-state investors, giving locals a fighting chance. In other areas, residents have formed co-ops, secured financing, and bought their parks.
Mobile homes may be one of the last real sources of affordable housing, but without stronger protections, residents are getting squeezed by rising rents and corporate ownership. Advocates are pushing for broader changes like rent caps, stricter eviction limits, stronger lease protections, and zoning rules to prevent mobile home parks from disappearing altogether.
