Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • 2020 Session Wrap-up

  • Iowans bring fight for their homes to Capitol

    Iowa Senate News Release

    WHAT: News Conference with the Iowa Manufactured Home Resident’s Network
    WHERE: Room 315, Iowa State Capitol
    WHEN: 11 a.m., Wednesday, February 19, 2020
    WHO: Manufactured home residents from around the state

    (DES MOINES) – Residents from manufactured home parks from across the state will meet at the Capitol in Des Moines on Wednesday to continue the fight for their homes by sharing their stories with Iowa lawmakers.

    The Iowa Manufactured Home Resident’s Network is a coalition of residents and allies who are committed to providing a voice to residents of manufactured home communities across the state.

    This week some of those residents will be raising those voices in Des Moines, as important legislation works its way through the Iowa House and Senate.  The bill (SF 2238/HF 2351) is an important first step toward providing checks and balances in a currently one-sided system, a system that is attracting unscrupulous private equity firms to the state as it drives Iowans out of their homes.

    The residents will hold a press conference at 11 am in Room 315 at the Iowa Capitol. Speakers will include manufactured home residents from around the state.

    Senator Wahls speaks in the Chamber about need for reforms

    News conference speakers and video of remarks

    Candi Evans, Golfview Residents Association, North Liberty

    • Park purchased by Havenpark in 2019 – I found out from notice taped to my door of rent increase …
    • Who’s in our community / we are real people
    • Our journey in the past year: from outrageous rent increases, to finding out Havenpark is private investor group from Utah, to first meeting of residents to months of work to get our voices heard, to a bill now under discussion to finally create some of the protections all Iowa manufactured homeowners should have had a long time ago
    • Why we need this bill … we have residents here from at least 7 different parks across Iowa who will share part of their stories with us today

    Angela Smith, Park Plaza Manufactured Home Park, Muscatine

    • Park purchased by Impact in 2019
    • Major rent increases and water overcharges (example) – then because we started to speak up and got help from our city and our municipal utility, the owners are starting to refund the overcharges
    • I’m worried it will happen again unless we get legal protection
    • We need this bill to protect all Iowa residents against fraud and unfair utility charges

    Jenny Heishman, Grinnell Manufactured Home Park, Grinnell

    • Story of trailer purchase and grandparents’ living situation
    • Park purchased by Impact in 2013
    • Since then, our lot rent has increased over 200%
    • We need this bill to protect proud, hardworking Iowans like my grandparents

    Carrie Presley, Table Mound Residents Association, Dubuque

    • Park purchased by Impact in 2017

    Margarita Rodriguez, Forest View Residents’ Association, Iowa City

    • Park sold to developer in 2016
    • With developer as our park owner, there is now no maintenance of park anymore; conditions deteriorating and unsafe
    • Sewers aren’t repaired. Potholes aren’t fixed. And there is no one for us to turn to.
    • We need this bill to create a way for residents to hold owners accountable for safe conditions in our parks, no matter who owns our parks in the future.

    Matt Chapman, Midwest Country Estates, Waukee

    • Waukee residents facing rent increases / who lives in my park
    • Park purchased by Havenpark in 2019
    • Part of national trend, private equity groups taking advantage of residents
    • Who are these owners who are trying to keep us from getting this bill passed?
    • The Iowa Manufactured Homes Association is one of the only opponents to this bill. They have “Iowa” in their name, but they are choosing to represent Havenpark and other out-of-state park owners against the interest of Iowans. In fact, we now know that Impact CEO Frank Rolfe sits on their board. Impact is headquartered in Colorado and now owns at least 23 parks in Iowa. Their CEO Frank Rolfe is the same man who famously told investors that a mobile home park “is like a Waffle House where the customers are chained to their booths.”
    • We need this bill to prevent the Frank Rolfe’s of the world targeting Iowa residents as easy marks for their quick profits.

    State Senator Zach Wahls, D-Coralville

    Senator Wahls offered an update on the current status of manufactured housing legislation traveling through both chambers. The House and Senate have introduce bipartisan bills intended to protect manufactured home owners. He clarified that this is not an issue of parks being sold for redevelopment. Out-of-state owners are eyeing mobile home parks as an opportunity to profit from the vulnerability of disabled or low-income people.

  • Mobile Home Bill Filed

    On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of senators filed a bill to protect Iowans who own manufactured homes. Senate File 2238 garnered 30 Senate cosponsors—15 Republicans and 15 Democrats.

    The House filed a “companion” bill (i.e., the same bill). The first public hearing on House File 2351 will be 1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 17 in room 19.

    The legislation would update Iowa Code Chapter 562B to be fairer and curb predatory practices with four changes to Iowa law:

    1. Eviction: Require “good cause” for eviction.

    2. Rent increases: Mandate 180-days’ notice of rent increases, limit increases to once per year and require an explanation if the increase is more than the rate of inflation.

    3. Enforcement: Give the Iowa Attorney General authority to enforce the mobile home park laws under the Consumer Fraud Act.

    4. Equity: Provide mobile homeowners the same protections afforded apartment renters.

  • Protect Iowans living in manufactured homes

    By State Sen. Zach Wahls, Coralville (Senate District 37)

                My top legislative priority in 2020 is affordable housing, starting by finishing the work begun last year to protect Iowans who live in manufactured homes. This is an issue that affects both rural Iowa and urban Iowa, as virtually every county in Iowa has at least one manufactured housing community, if not several.

                I’m intentional about using the phrase “manufactured homes,” but you may hear them referred to as “mobile homes” or “trailers.” However, most “mobile” homes are not in fact “mobile.” Moving the homes that can be moved typically costs $2,000 to $5,000. That’s a lot of money.

                Over the last year, you may have read news reports about out-of-state companies moving into Iowa, purchasing manufactured housing communities (or MHCs) and increasing the rent by as much as 70%. The problem of out-of-state companies coming into Iowa, purchasing trailer parks and jacking up the rent has been unusually pronounced in this senate district, and I hear about this concern at virtually every event I hold. Havenpark Capital—the Utah-based investment group that infamously raised the rent on multiple Iowa manufactured housing communities by more than 60% last year—has purchased parks in all three counties I represent in the past year.

                Last April, in response to this growing crisis, the Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan bill I helped craft to take the first steps in protecting Iowans who own manufactured homes. Unfortunately, that bill did not pass the House, because we were so short on time that we could not reach a compromise before adjournment.

                During the “interim” period from April 2019 to January 2020, a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives has been meeting to discuss this issue. Both Representative Bobby Kaufmann and I are taking part in these negotiations. We are working to develop comprehensive legislation that will protect vulnerable Iowans from predatory landlords while also ensuring that local mom-and-pop owner-operators acting in good faith are not harmed. It is important that we protect all Iowans from predatory behavior while making sure we do not harm the ability of good actors to offer this affordable housing option.

                During our review of this issue over the interim period, I was shocked to learn that people who rent apartments actually have stronger protection under Iowa law than people who own manufactured homes! Common sense tells us that people who own their own homes should have at least as much protection as people who rent, if not more. But that is not the state of Iowa law today. And likely, that it why we are seeing so much interest from out-of-state landlords.

                Any meaningful legislation should be focused on two key areas. First, ensuring that we have equal protection (at least) under Iowa law for renters and for owners of manufactured homes. Second, we have to protect the property rights and due process rights of these home owners.

                I am cautiously optimistic that we will be able to accomplish meaningful reform in this area. Generally speaking, affordable housing is a very important topic, and it makes sense that you would start with the most “affordable” option and work your way up. I hope that by working to bring together Republicans and Democrats, landlords and residents, we can build agreement in Des Moines for common sense legislation. That is how our system is supposed to work!

  • Iowa AG urges change to Iowa’s manufactured home laws

  • Submitted statements: Dec. 14 Manufactured Housing Reform Hearing

    Below are submitted public comments on the need for manufactured housing reform in Iowa. Want to know more about this issue? Go to senate.iowa.gov/democrats/manufactured-homes

    Letter from Reynolds & Kenline L.L.P.Download pdf

    Letter from Cedar Falls resident Patricia GodwinDownload pdf

    Letter from Dubuque resident Marcy AntolikDownload pdf

    Letter from Dubuque resident Michael Linh Download pdf

  • News coverage: Dec. 14 Manufactured Housing Reform Hearing

    News coverage of the December 14 bipartisan legislative forum on Iowa’s need for manufactured housing reform, led by State Sen. Zach Wahls:

  • Watch Dec. 14 Manufactured Housing Reform Hearing

    Below are links to the Facebook live stream taken at the Manufactured Housing Reform Meeting.

    LIVE VIDEOS

    Part 1 facebook.com/IowaSenateDemocrats/videos/2642283802527093/

    Part 2 facebook.com/IowaSenateDemocrats/videos/548923872626380/

  • Manufactured Housing Reform Hearing, Dec. 14

    (If you watch the above video on YouTube, you can use the comments to click to specific speakers.)

    Below are documents that were presented to the public during the meeting.

    Senator Zach Wahls’ One Page Overview Download pdf

    Memorandum on Iowa Code Chapter 562BDownload pdf

    Private Equity Giants Converge on Manufactured Homes – February 2019Download pdf

    LSA-Report-on-Iowa-Manufactured-HousingDownload pdf

    Data on Manufactured Homes in Iowa CitiesDownload pdf

    Link to more information on manufactured housing reform: senate.iowa.gov/democrats/manufactured-homes/

  • Legislators to hear from mobile home residents, discuss reforms

    Listen to this news release

    Bipartisan State Legislators to Seek Public Comment from Residents of Iowa Manufactured Housing Communities and Discuss Comprehensive Reforms

    “Iowa law should treat residents of manufactured housing with dignity and respect. Earlier this year, Democrats and Republicans came together to take the first steps in the right direction, and now it’s time to finish that bipartisan work.”

    DES MOINES—In light of widespread reports earlier this year of double-digit increases in rent by out-of-state landlords for residents of Iowa manufactured housing communities, a bipartisan group of Iowa lawmakers is seeking public input on proposed changes to Iowa law overseeing manufactured housing communities, also known as “mobile home parks.”

    A meeting to gather public input on proposed reforms will be held on Saturday, December 14, at the Iowa Statehouse. The meeting will take place in Room 103 of the Statehouse, the original chambers of the Iowa Supreme Court. The session will begin at 1 PM and end at 3:45 PM. Iowa legislators from both political parties and both the Iowa House and Senate, as well as representatives from the office of Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Finance Authority, will attend the Saturday meeting.

    Residents, landlords, and experts have been invited, and lawmakers have been informed that residents of manufactured housing from across Iowa plan to attend.

    Compared to residents of other states, Iowans living in manufactured homes on rented plots of land lack the basic protections that traditional renters have. In recent years, out-of-state companies looking for quick profits have bought up Iowa manufactured home parks and sharply increased the rent. Earlier this year, double-digit rent increases as high as 69% were widely reported by the press. In response, legislation to improve the rights of manufactured housing residents was approved unanimously by the Iowa Senate.

    “Iowa law should treat residents of manufactured housing (i.e. ‘mobile homes’) with dignity and respect. Earlier this year, Democrats and Republicans came together to take the first steps in the right direction, and now it’s time to finish that bipartisan work,” said Senator Zach Wahls of Coralville. “Iowa law should protect those who have worked hard for their piece of the American Dream from predatory out-of-state landlords taking advantage of Iowa’s unequal protection for manufactured housing residents.”

    To reserve a time to speak at the Saturday, December 14th meeting, Iowans are encouraged (but not required) to contact legislative staffer Rusty Martin at 515-418-8709 or via  email at rusty.martin@legis.iowa.gov.

    – end –