Senator targets corporate owners as complaints surge
- Senator seeks answers from six major investment firms amid rising lot rents and complaints of deteriorating living conditions
- Letters cite growing corporate consolidation in manufactured housing and heightened risks for residents with limited mobility
- Inquiry follows reports of sharp rent increases, alleged retaliation and maintenance failures in communities across New England
U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), the ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee, is demanding answers from six corporate owners of manufactured housing communities amid mounting concerns about affordability and living conditions for millions of residents.
Hassan sent letters to Alden Global Capital (parent of Homes of America), Patriot Holdings, Philips International, Legacy Communities, the BoaVida Group and Sun Communities, asking each to explain how their business practices are affecting manufactured housing communities in New England. Roughly 22 million Americans live in manufactured homes, commonly located in land-lease communities where residents own their homes but rent the ground beneath them.
Corporate consolidation raises affordability concerns
Hassans letter notes that investment firms have rapidly expanded their ownership of mobile-home parks in recent years, with acquisitions reaching an estimated $9.4 billion in 2021. Between 2019 and 2021, such firms accounted for 23% of manufactured housing community purchases, including properties acquired by Alden Global Capital.
The senator warned that residentswho include significant numbers of seniors, people with disabilities, low-income families, and rural householdshave limited ability to move because manufactured homes are expensive to relocate and often hard to sell. As a result, she said, residents have few if any options when confronted with steep rent hikes, lease changes or other decisions by corporate owners.
Rent hikes far outpace traditional housing
Hassan cited reports showing that rents in manufactured housing communities rose more than five times faster than apartment rents between 2023 and 2024. In Maine, communities owned by the BoaVida Group and Philips International reportedly saw rent increases exceeding 50% since 2021.
Some companies explicitly highlight rent growth as part of their investment strategy. Patriot Holdings, which owns several communities in New England, promotes expected rent increases in line with market demand, which it describes as booming.
The senator also noted recent legal scrutiny: in 2024, Homes of America agreed to repay residents in West Virginia after settling claims over an allegedly unlawful rent increase that plaintiffs called unconscionable.
Allegations of collusion and deteriorating conditions
Beyond rent hikes, Hassan pointed to broader allegations of anticompetitive behavior. A 2023 federal complaint in Illinois accused Sun Communities and others of sharing sensitive, non-public data through a third-party analytics provider to systematically and unlawfully raise lot rents above inflation and historical norms. Attorneys general in Connecticut and Minnesota have launched similar inquiries into investor-owned properties.
Residents have also reported worsening living conditions under some corporate owners. Complaints include insufficient maintenance, staffing cuts, decaying infrastructure, pest infestations, poor water quality and health hazards such as respiratory illness. In New Mexico, residents said Legacy Communities raised rents while allowing property conditions to deteriorate. Similar concerns have been raised at BoaVida and Philips International properties in New England and at Homes of America communities nationwide.
Reports of retaliation and barriers to legal action
Hassan additionally highlighted claims that some firms have sought to intimidate or legally pressure residents who challenge business practices. Residents in West Virginia alleged that Homes of America threatened substantial rent increases unless they waived rights under state law. In another case, the same company reportedly sued a resident for interfering with its contractual relationships after she organized rights-education clinics.
Meanwhile, complex ownership structures and arbitration provisions may hinder residents ability to pursue claims. A study cited by Hassan found that some firms use onerous arbitration clauses that raise costs and reduce procedural protections, while multiple shell companies often obscure who actually owns a community. The Government Accountability Office has similarly warned that ownership information for manufactured housing communities is often limited or opaque.
Inquiry aims to inform congressional oversight
Hassan said the requested information will help Congress better understand how corporate consolidation is affecting affordability and safety in a critical segment of the nations housing stock. Given this impact on our economy and the pressing need to increase access to safe, reliable housing that people can afford, I seek more information on your business practices, she wrote.
The six companies have been asked to respond to the committee with detailed information about their rent-setting practices, ownership structures, maintenance policies and procedures for addressing resident complaints.
Posted: 2025-12-09 16:06:58
