Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to letters@bangordailynews.com
Lets talk about the last affordable housing in Maine: The old mom and pop mobile home parks owned and operated by them. They kept the rents reasonable and did most of the work themselves. The parks were community oriented and most people actually were neighborly and willing to help others.
That image changed dramatically when out-of-state corporations and investor groups started buying up mobile home parks across the state. When parks were bought? Corporations and investor groups were stuck with: How do we give our investors the financial return we promised?
There is only one way to increase your revenue in mobile home parks — reduce on-site employees, cut service, no preventative maintenance and constantly raise the rent. That is exactly what they are doing. One in five mobile home parks in Maine are owned by out-of-state corporations or investor groups, absentee landlords who mostly manage the parks by email or telephone.
Maine laws were designed for mom and pop mobile home parks and not big corporations or investor groups. Their business model seems to be profit above people.
Legislation has been proposed in Augusta to counter the wealthy corporations and investor groups. I think state legislation for lot rent stability and tenant protections in mobile home parks in Maine is the only solution.
We keep giving tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations with the idea that trickle down economics helps all. Don’t you wish that was true? What actually trickles down to tenants in corporate or investor owned parks? Lot rent increases of course and soon to be unaffordable housing.
Act now and support rent stabilization and tenant protections in mobile home parks in Maine or affordable housing in Maine will be just a memory.
Jerry Highfill
Bowdoin