Manufactured home parks (MHPs) provide crucial affordable housing for many low-income families across Florida. While these residents often own their homes, they rent the land beneath them leaving vulnerable to eviction and park closures. A recent study published in Urban Studies reveals how weak tenant protections in Florida expose MHP residents to multiple forms of displacement, including court-ordered evictions and entire community shutdowns. Based on extensive data from 2012 to 2022, the research offers insight into where, how, and why MHP residents are being pushed out and what policies could offer better safeguards.
Eviction Risk Lower Overall, But Still Significant
From 2012 to 2022, manufactured home parks in Florida had a lower average eviction filing rate (1.9%) compared to conventional renters (5.0%). While this might suggest greater stability, it masks the true risk. MHP-related evictions accounted for fewer than 6% of all eviction filings in the state over that period. However, the impact is often more severe for MHP residents due to the financial difficulty of relocating a manufactured home.
A Few Parks Drive Most Evictions
The study identified 2,383 registered MHPs in Florida and matched approximately 85% of the 65,122 MHP eviction filings to specific parcels. A striking finding was that one-third of all MHP eviction filings came from just 100 parks only 2.4% of all operating MHPs. This concentration indicates that eviction risk is not evenly distributed across parks and may be tied to specific management practices or ownership types.
Ownership Changes Trigger Higher Eviction Rates
Ownership turnover emerged as a major factor contributing to instability. Parks that were sold experienced a 40% average increase in eviction filings within six months of the sale. New owners may implement stricter rules, raise rents, or take steps toward redevelopment making life more precarious for existing residents.
Park Closures Cause Mass Displacement
While court-based evictions are documented, many residents face mass displacement through park closures events that don’t always involve court proceedings and are therefore undercounted in public records. Between 2012 and 2022, 127 registered MHPs closed permanently, displacing over 6,000 households. This represents an additional 9.4% increase in evictions beyond what court filings show. These closures occurred across urban, suburban, and rural regions, with the highest clustering in North Florida.
Demographics Shape Displacement Risk
Eviction rates also differed by community characteristics. Census tracts with high eviction rates (over 5%) were more likely to be in urban areas, particularly in North Florida, and had higher shares of Black residents and households living below the poverty line. Conversely, low-eviction tracts (under 2%) tended to be rural, located in South Florida, and home to more white and elderly residents. These disparities highlight how race, income, and geography intersect to influence housing security.
Limited Legal Protections Fall Short
Florida has some protections in place, such as a right of first refusal when a park is put up for sale and limited relocation assistance. However, these measures have not kept pace with the scale of displacement. The study shows that these safeguards are not strong enough to prevent the frequent and sometimes sudden loss of housing among MHP residents.
Manufactured Homes Are Hard to Move
A critical issue facing evicted MHP residents is the cost and feasibility of moving their homes. Unlike renters of conventional apartments, manufactured homeowners often cannot afford to relocate their homes, which are expensive and not always structurally viable for transport. As a result, eviction or park closure can mean not only displacement but also total financial loss.
Policy Recommendations Offer a Way Forward
The researchers suggest several policy interventions to reduce displacement risk for MHP residents:
- Increase relocation assistance for displaced households
- Require longer notice periods before eviction
- Provide emergency rental aid to cover small debts
- Support resident-owned communities to give tenants more control.
These changes could offer more stability for vulnerable households and reduce the long-term financial impact of eviction or displacement.