PESP Housing Update: How policymakers can protect manufactured housing, Rep. Tlaib presses Brookfield, and more

Dear John,

This month, the PESP housing team is focusing on private equity’s role in manufactured housing and the industry’s impact on residents of manufactured housing communities. When Brookfield completed its purchase of YES! Communities over the summer, residents and advocates like PESP questioned whether the private equity firm would address ongoing issues faced by YES! tenants. Months later, those questions remain and now, members of Congress are pressing Brookfield for answers.

To hold corporate landlords accountable for mistreating residents of manufactured housing — or to prevent such mistreatment in the first place — policymakers have a wide array of tools available to them. Read more below to learn about the specific policies that could help residents of manufactured housing in a new report released by PESP and MHAction.

Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

Jordan Ash

[email protected]

New analysis outlines policy strategies to protect manufactured housing from corporate landlords

A new report from PESP and MHAction analyzes emerging policy solutions aimed at protecting residents of manufactured housing as private equity and other corporate landlords continue to buy up manufactured housing communities. In recent years, institutional investors such as private equity firms have increased their presence in the manufactured housing market. In the United States, just 23 private equity firms own over 1,900 manufactured housing parks, totaling over 400,000 home sites.

Manufactured home residents are particularly vulnerable to exploitation by corporate landlords: when park owners hike lot rents, add fees, neglect maintenance, or cut staff, homeowners often have no choice but to endure it. While the recently passed 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act attempted to address the risks created by private equity ownership of single-family housing on the federal level, the law largely overlooked private equity ownership of manufactured housing. On the state level, policymakers have begun to adopt measures such as rent control, eviction protections, and portfolio size limits that protect manufactured housing residents and prevent corporate exploitation.

Residents at YES! Communities park in Oklahoma experience “serial evictions,” rent-to-own pressure

YES! Communities’ eviction activity in Oklahoma has gained recent media attention, with one TV news story describing the company as a “serial evictor.” YES was recently acquired by Brookfield Asset Management, one of the largest private equity firms in the world. The YES-owned Westmoor Mobile Home Park was Oklahoma City’s seventh highest evictor in 2025, according to the News 9 story. Park management filed evictions against 76 households that year. Twenty-nine of these households had more than one eviction filed, with one household having 10 evictions filed against them in a single year. This has been destabilizing and stressful for park residents, the story said. One resident reported having to use his retirement savings to pay off his balance.

The situation at Westmoor and the thousands of parks like it across the United States is not inevitable. Policy interventions like rent stabilization, eviction process reforms, improved rent-to-own regulations, and junk fee bans should be pursued by officials at every level of government. In addition, investors have the power to act. Organized YES! Communities residents are currently calling on investors in YES’s owner, Brookfield, to work with tenants to institute fairer management practices. Brookfield’s investors, many of which are public pension funds, now have an opportunity to stop investing in predatory business practices that harm tenants while also reducing their own legal and financial risk burdens.

Tlaib presses Brookfield after firm acquires YES! Communities

Members of Congress are demanding answers from Canadian private equity giant Brookfield Asset Management following its acquisition of YES! Communities. In an October 13 letter, Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), and Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) called on Brookfield to address concerns about its treatment of manufactured housing residents. The acquisition, valued at approximately $10 billion, added more than 21,000 Michigan home sites to Brookfield’s portfolio according to data from Co-star and gave the firm control of one of the country’s largest manufactured housing operators.

“Given the challenges our constituents have experienced at Yes! properties, as well as broader concerns about the private equity business model, we seek assurances that Brookfield will prioritize improving residents’ quality of life and protecting their economic and housing stability, rather than exacerbating the economic challenges they already face,” the lawmakers wrote.

The letter cites reports of exorbitant rent increases, excessive fees, neglected maintenance, and threats of eviction for residents who installed window air conditioning units. Lawmakers requested written answers by November 20 on whether Brookfield will limit rent increases, restrict fees, protect residents from retaliation, and change its eviction practices.

Manufactured home park residents are at extreme risk of heat deaths

A 2-year investigation by National Public Radio (NPR), tracking deaths from heat, found that residents of manufactured home parks are among the most at risk. The Knowledge Exchange for Resilience at Arizona State University found that manufactured home residents in Maricopa County, Arizona, are six to eight times more likely to die from heat-related issues than residents in traditional housing. While manufactured homes account for just 5% of the housing in Maricopa County, people who live in manufactured homes account for 30% to 40% of indoor heat deaths.

NPR noted that there are several reasons for this, including the age and condition of most manufactured homes, how they are financed, and the fact that people living in manufactured homes are more likely to be dealing with other financial and health issues. Older people and those with conditions such as diabetes or heart disease are especially at risk.

The poor condition of many homes can contribute to sky-high electric bills for some residents, and manufactured home residents are often not eligible for financial assistance to pay their bills if the park owner has the account and bills the individual homeowners.