Bugs and black mold: What some mobile home park residents see after investors buy in

In recent years, mobile home properties have become less affordable as an influx of large companies have bought up the parks and raised rents and fees.

This article is part of “Unaffordable America,” a series examining rising economic inequality in the U.S. and the policies that drive it.

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Soon after Aliea Brown rented Unit 62 at the Buck Island Manufactured Home Community in northern Mississippi in 2023, it became clear she couldn’t stay.

The front door was hung upside down, Brown said, black mold began growing throughout the unit and the windows weren’t sealed properly. Termites and ladybugs invaded. Then when it turned cold, a sewer pipe burst, increasing her water bill and causing putrid wastewater to collect under the unit for months.