Residents of a mobile home park for seniors protest against 44% rent increase

Rancho Villa is a senior mobile home park in Walla Walla. It has clean streets, cheerful yard decorations, and neighbors who stop to chat on evening strolls. It was built in the 1960s by Arnold E. Jones, who lived there until his death.

As with most mobile home parks, residents own their homes but not the land they stand on, so residents pay a “land rent” to the park owner each month.

To three years agothis owner was First commercial properties NWa company based in Bothell.

“We were never told beforehand that the house was being sold,” says Beverly Barksdale, who lives in the park with her husband. Two of her older sisters also live there. “It was just like that: We wake up one day and it's like it's sold. And we think, 'Oh my God.'”

Although Washington now has a law The law gives trailer park residents more notice and rights when an owner wants to sell. It had not yet been passed when Rancho Villa was sold.

Since the purchase, First Commercial increased property rents annually. This year they will increase by 44%. The new property rent is 600 dollars a month, more than twice as much as it was three years ago.

The company also began charging for water, sewer and garbage—utilities that were previously included in rent—as well as a $6 monthly billing fee.

“It amazes me how they can sleep at night,” Barksdale said. “They just want to line their pockets, but what they're doing is destroying mobile home parks.”

When Barksdale heard about the 44 percent rent increase, she thought it was a mistake. When she learned it wasn't, she felt bad for her roommates, many of whom are on fixed incomes.

“As I get to know my neighbors and see what their problems are, it hurts my heart,” Barksdale said.

One of her sisters, who is 94, receives $1,200 a month in welfare. When you deduct her utilities, property rent and mortgage, she will live on less than $300 a month.

What is happening in Rancho Villa is not unusual. Over The countryCompanies buy mobile home parks and increase rents.

Some new owners simply want more money. Others want to displace the residents and convert the parks into luxury apartments, for example. The residents of Walla Walla's mobile home parks recognized the signs of the times and campaigned for a moratorium. to such a new development; it was adopted last year.

Nevertheless, rising rents and fees are a cause for concern, said Rachael Myers, managing director of Washington Alliance for Low-Income Housing.

“The impact of these rent increases on people is really huge,” Myers said. She noted that even seemingly small amounts like $50 or $100 can be devastating for renters on fixed incomes. She has heard from People who have given up medication or heat in order to be able to afford such jumps.

In Washington, Myers said, it is “perfectly legal to raise rent by 20, 30, 40, 50 percent, and that's not unusual.”

This is not the case in Oregon or Californiawhere rents are fixed for many apartments.

Rent stabilization limits the amount by which landlords can increase the rent of a current tenant. For example, there could be a cap of 7 to 10% annually. Rent stabilization no limit on how much landlords can increase rent when new tenants move in.

In the last two years, a law on rent price stabilization was passed failed in Washington's legislatureIn 2024, it passed the House of Representatives but did not receive a vote in the Senate.

A new bill on rent stabilization is expected to be on the agenda in 2025. If passed, the resulting law would also apply to mobile home parks.

Renee Rooker, Head of Walla Walla Housing Authoritysaid that mobile home parks were among the last pillars of affordable housing.

Rancho Villa, for example, has 240 units where hundreds of seniors live. If they can't afford the new rent, they don't have many other options, she said. “Where are they going to go?” Rooker asked. “There's nothing else they can buy that's affordable.”

Rooker's agency builds and manages properties, so she knows how important it is to make a profit. But she doesn't think that justifies what's happening in Rancho Villa.

“I just think it's criminal, it makes me angry,” she said. “How would you like it if someone increased your mortgage by 44%?”

Rancho Villa residents have repeatedly contacted First Commercial with their concerns. Sharon Sweeney wrote a letter in July and followed up three times by email.

“It's a very sad situation without us even getting any feedback from the owners,” she said. “The company is advertising it as affordable housing for over-55s. It bothers me when I see that, because in my opinion it's not affordable.”

Sweeney said she didn't know of anyone who had received a response from First Commercial, and the company also did not respond to Northwest Public Broadcasting's questions.

Dorothy Knudson, a former minister, is one of many Residents of Rancho Villa who have been fighting for years to protect their community“We need more affordable housing all over the country,” she said. “And here at least somewhat affordable housing is offered.”

Most recently, residents filed complaints with the Attorney General of Washington, through the Prefabricated housing dispute resolution program.

Residents alleged that First Commercial failed to maintain the park's infrastructure and retaliated against them for complaining. They also said they were ordered to repair driveways or trim trees – tasks that are the responsibility of park owners, not tenants.

They haven't found a solution yet. But the residents of Rancho Villa have no intention of giving in. Their homes, they say, are worth it.