Mobile Home Residents Worry About Housing Loss After Communities Sold

MOUNT VERNON, VA — Mobile home residents spoke out Tuesday about concerns of possible rent increases that could drive people from their homes after their two mobile home communities were sold.

The two mobile home parks — Ray’s and Engleside mobile home parks — are located off Richmond Highway in the Mount Vernon area of Fairfax County. Mobile home residents claim the owners — Ahora Company LC and Rapido Company LC — previously indicated they would not sell the properties.

However, the owners notified residents in September they received a $24.2 million offer from Pacific Current Partners to buy the mobile home parks, and they planned to sell the mobile home parks to Pacific Current Partners with 60 days notice.

Pacific Current Partners' website says the investment firm focuses on providing "safe and high quality housing" in manufactured housing and RV communities.

Virginia's Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act requires an offer from tenants to be considered to purchase a mobile home park during the 60-day notice period. According to the law, the owner should consider additional offers by an entity representing at least 25 percent of tenants.

The mobile home residents worked with Tenants and Workers United to make an offer, creating two tenant resident associations, finding a nonprofit buyer who would make an offer on their behalf, and seeking financial support from Fairfax County.

Marianela Funes, an organizer with Tenants and Workers United, said through a translator that Habitat for Humanity provided support for the process. However, Funes said Fairfax County didn't have money to support a purchase by residents.

The residents claim the owners' attorney said a resident-led offer would not be considered. According to Tenants and Workers United, the $24.2 million offer from Pacific Current Partner is nearly three times more than the $8.1 million combined assessed values of the mobile home parks.

Since the sale was completed Tuesday, residents now face uncertainty and hope the new owner does not increase rent prices. On Tuesday, mobile home residents spoke out at a news conference with Tenants and Workers United and the Legal Aid Justice Center.

"It's a very safe place. It's a very calm place, and just to know that in this property there could be an increase in our rent, it's a place that we wouldn't want that to happen," said Saul Hernandez, a resident at the mobile home park for 14 years, through a translator.

Hector, another resident who did not provide his full name, was disappointed the county wasn't able to help more with the purchase.

"The fact that Fairfax County was not transparent through the process, they made decisions behind closed doors or had conversations behind closed doors, and to know that our families, Latinx families, were really left out of this process and we're just not knowing what's going to happen next," the resident said through a translator.

In a statement, Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said he'd been working to address the concerns of residents since learning about the potential sale in mid-September. Storck said he spoke with the property owner, supervisors, county staff and community leaders. However, county staff informed Storck in early November that the county and partners could not get the funding resources needed to make a competitive offer in the short timeframe.

"With no state required resident purchase options, the clearly stated non-interest by [the property owner] and the very short time period before the sale’s closing, no alternatives to the purchase by Pacific Current Partners appear possible," Storck shared in the statement.

At the news conference on Tuesday, Hector said his lease is up in August and doesn't know if there will be a rent increase. He said he has used savings to make improvements to his home.

Maria Osorio, a resident since 2004, said she worked hard to buy a house and that her kids grew up at the community.

"We were finally able to buy a home due to a lot of effort and sacrifices we made," said Osorio. "We are human beings and we deserve respect just like everyone else. We don't want to continue in this state of uncertainty; we don’t want to be afraid of displacement."

Residents want to meet with the new owners to find out what they plan to do with the mobile home parks and share their concerns such as deteriorating roads and plumbing issues.

Storck said he and Chairman Jeff McKay met with Pacific Current Capital, which informed the county supervisors they did not intend to redevelop the mobile home parks. The firm discussed with supervisors "planned upgrades, investments, and their approach for determining future rent increases," but they wouldn't commit to limiting future rent increases. The firm said the same information was shared with residents the day before meeting with the supervisors.

Larisa Zehr, an attorney from Legal Aid Justice Center, noted mobile home parks offer affordable housing without subsidies and differ from apartment complexes.

"Because Fairfax County has only eight mobile home parks, every sale threatens the already-depleted affordable housing opportunities for low-income residents, many of whom are Latinx and immigrant families," said Zehr. "At the same time, state and local policy gives those residents extremely limited recourse to influence the sale of the land out from under their feet."

However, Zehr said the county recently adopted recommendations from its Manufactured Housing Task Force, such as the county working earlier in the process on purchase options and prioritize funding to preserve mobile home parks.

This isn't the first time residents have spoken out in attempts to protect their homes. In 2020, a decision was deferred on a plan amendment to increase the density of the mobile home parks area for redevelopment opportunities. According to Alexandria Living Magazine, the board of supervisors agreed to further evaluate the proposal.

Storck plans to continue to be involved to support the mobile home park residents.

"We understand the importance of Ray’s-Engleside as an affordable, supportive housing
community," Storck stated. "Fairfax County and I are determined to continue to work with and support the residents of Ray’s-Engleside both during this ownership transition and for years to come."