Who is buying up Iowa’s manufactured home parks?
Here’s a complete list compiled by Iowa’s nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency with additional information from Iowa State Association of Counties.
Contact: Robin Madison, robin.madison@legis.iowa.gov
Transcript:
I just wanted to make sure that the body was aware of a current situation that’s unfolding across our state. Over the last several weeks and months, an out-of-state corporation called Haven Park Capital has acquired several mobile home parks across Iowa. These are currently, the ones we know about at least, are located in Waukee, North Liberty, Indianola, Iowa City, and North Liberty. And when I heard about these acquisition– two of them are in my own district–I started to take a look and understand what the current state of mobile home resident law is in our state. And the answer is it’s not very good. And I know hopefully nearing the end of session here, and we’re getting pretty late in the session, but I just wanted to put on everyone’s radar, that this company is raising the rents on folks, at least in Waukee and North Liberty, by 70 percent with only about 60 days’ notice And a 70 percent increase with 60 days notice is not very much time. And so I’m interested in working with anybody who wants to try and take a look at what’s possible to help protect folks who are being affected by these rent increases. And potentially under the gun, for increases that may be coming in other communities. I’ve had the chance to speak with Senator Kinney, whose residents in North Liberty are being affected by this. We had some of those folks just yesterday in the capitol, and we have a couple ideas about things that we can do to help protect folks. And I’ll be trying to walk around and talk with people. I want to thank Senator Rosenbloom for his interest in potentially working together on this issue. And one of the things I just want to make clear for folks, is the current law basically offers mobile home owners or residents virtually zero protection. I want to read just a quick sentence from the lease that was handed to folks in the Waukee mobile home park by this new company, Haven Park Capital. This is on page four of the lease they were handed under the 12th clause: Use of premises. “Premises,” of course, being the home. Residents shall occupy the premises and shall only use the premises as a residence and not for any commercial purposes or any purpose other than as a residence. Commercial use, among other things, is defined to include baby sitting and or childcare for individuals other than the resident’s immediate family on a regular basis. Residents shall not undertake any illegal activity including but not limited to the use, transfer, possession or creation of any illegal substance on the premises or in the community. And shall not use the premises in any other illegal or unlawful manner or contrary to any applicable law, rule, regulation or ordinances of any federal, state or municipal authorities. All that’s totally fine. Here’s the kicker. Further, residents shall not move the home from the home site without the landlords’ prior written consent which may be withheld for any reason and/or no reason. The whole point of a mobile home is that it can move. And the lease that these folks are being subjected to prevents them from being able to do that at all. So, I’m interested in working with anybody who’s willing to do some work on this. We’ve got a couple of ideas that will hopefully get some bipartisan support. I’d like to talk with you before we get out of here and go home. Thank you Mr. President.
Cynthia Fodor of KCCI news talks about how Iowa legislators are working to combat the manufactured home rent crisis: wp.me/p8aBRy-77h
Mobile homes may seem like an affordable housing option, but large investment companies are making them less and less so.
On HBO’s Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver takes a deep dive into the problems home owners face in mobile home parks. Iowa must address these issues and reform our manufactured housing laws.
IA SEN NEWSIn the final days of the 2018 campaign, a Northwest Iowa State Senator may have mistakenly released the Republican Party of Iowa’s secret plan to “fix” the Medicaid privatization mess.
During a forum last week sponsored by the Sioux City Rotary Club, State Senator Jim Carlin of Sioux City proposed rationing health care for Medicaid recipients.
Carlin specifically said lawmakers should “look into limiting the number of doctor visits” by people on Medicaid.
Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen called Carlin’s proposal “mean-spirited and dangerous.”
“This is another example of a politician playing doctor,” Petersen said. “The last thing that Iowa parents need is to be worried about politicians placing arbitrary caps on the number of times their children can visit the family doctor for an ear infection, a broken arm or diabetes. And how could the Legislature and Governor limit the number of doctor visits for disabled Iowans or those with chronic illnesses? That’s mean-spirited and dangerous.”
Throughout 2017 and 2018, Governor Reynolds and other Republican leaders acknowledged “mistakes were made” with Medicaid privatization, but they have offered no solutions for reversing course on a change that has turned over health care management for hundreds of thousands of Iowans to out-of-state corporations.
As a result, the Reynolds Administration, Senator Carlin and others in the Republican-controlled Legislature have led an effort that has:
“Make no mistake about it, Senator Carlin’s plan would cost Iowa taxpayers more money in the long run and would further endanger the health and safety of Iowans,” Petersen said.
Read the full Sioux City Journal article: https://tinyurl.com/yd4oouq2
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Statement from Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen on GOP’s ‘gut punch’ to Iowa taxpayers
“Iowa families, health care providers and taxpayers received a gut punch today because of the mismanagement of privatized Medicaid by Governor Reynolds, Senate Republicans and House Republicans.
“Taxpayers are being hurt because they must now pay an additional $342.2 million to out-of-state corporations that are running Medicaid and Iowa’s heath care system into the ground.
“In order to balance the state budget, Governor Reynolds and Republican legislators are unfortunately likely to
“The best option would be for Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans to finally reverse course and join legislative Democrats in supporting a return to a more efficient, publicly managed system.
“We all know for-profit Medicaid has been a disaster for Iowa families and health care providers. Now we know that it is a bigger disaster for the state budget and Iowa taxpayers.”
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In the Equifax security breach last year, hackers stole Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and other personal information from 1.1 million Iowans.
Wary of identity theft, many consumers requested a freeze on their credit reports. They then learned that they had to pay a fee to get the freeze and pay again if they wanted to lift the freeze. Iowans have been paying some of the highest freeze-related fees in the nation, according to the state Attorney General.
This year, we banned Equifax, Experian, TransUnion and other credit reporting agencies from charging fees when Iowans freeze checks on their credit reports (SF 2177). Freezing prevents anyone, including an identity thief, from opening a new line of credit in your name. If you need to apply for a credit card, loan or job that requires a background check, you can have the freeze lifted, even temporarily.
We’re also cracking down on illegally using technology to steal payment card information (HF 2199).
Criminals can access your credit and debit cards remotely through your clothes, wallet or purse, or place nearly undetectable “skimming devices” on gas pumps and other card readers that steal your information. Your card information can even be transferred to another card for the thieves to use later.
It is now a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison to use a scanning device to take payment card information without authorization, or to use an encoding machine to transfer information from one card to another. In addition, it will be an aggravated misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison to possess a scanning device intended to obtain payment card information without authorization.
Find helpful tips to avoid credit card fraud and identity theft on the Iowa Attorney General’s website.
IOWA SENATE NEWS
For Immediate Release: May 29, 2018
DES MOINES – Senator Pam Jochum of Dubuque has accepted Governor Reynolds’ offer to provide the numbers behind alleged Medicaid savings of hundreds of millions dollars.
“This is not about the politics, it’s about the numbers and Iowa families,” said Jochum, a legislative leader on health care issues. “That’s why I have accepted Governor Reynolds’s offer to meet with Medicaid Director Mike Randol and go over the numbers. This meeting should, of course, be open to the public and news media. Iowans have a right to know where and how their tax money is being spent. We are talking about hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, the financial survival of the state’s health care providers, and the lives of 600,000 Iowans and their families.”
Republican claims about the financial impact of Medicaid privatization have varied dramatically.* When the Des Moines Register filed an open records request for the facts, the Reynolds Administration released a one-page letter that was also sent to Senator Jochum. The Register was offered more information, but only on “background.”
“If money has been saved, I want to know how that happened,” said Jochum. “Did for-profit Medicaid suddenly improve the health of Iowans with serious health care challenges? My best guess is that most of the ‘savings’ came from failing to pay Iowa health care providers and forcing Iowa families to accept lower quality care.”
The Republican budget approved during the 2018 session did not include a firm estimate of the cost of Iowa Medicaid for the coming year.
“We all know for-profit Medicaid has been a disaster for Iowa families and health care providers,” said Jochum. “I believe it has also been a disaster for the state budget. Governor Reynolds, I look forward to a public review of the hundreds of millions of dollars Iowa has spent on privatized Medicaid and the reforms that will start fixing Iowa’s Medicaid mess.”
* Reynolds Administration Claims Regarding Privatized Medicaid Costs
| Claimed Savings | Date | Source |
| $232 million by FY 18 | January 2015 | Branstad/Reynolds Administration |
| $47.1 million for FY 18 | December 2017 | Reynolds Administration |
| $140.9 million (either annually OR cumulatively) | May 2018 | Reynolds Administration |
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The Democratic plan for 2018 calls for Putting Iowans First
Gov. Reynolds & Republican lawmakers: Misplaced priorities & mismanagement
Several bipartisan bills were approved
Good news: These GOP bills failed
