Sen. Elizabeth Warren weighed in on a local dispute between residents of a North Liberty mobile home park and a new out-of-state landlord imposing rent hikes of up to 58%.

The presidential hopeful and Iowa Rep. Dave Loebsack, sent a letter to Havenpark Capital Tuesday. The company acquired Golfview Mobile Home Court in March. Upon hearing news of their rent increasing, residents formed an association to advocate against what they call price gouging.

Warren's letter cited reports of residents having to choose between basic necessities and abandoning their homes after investment firms, like Havenpark, have purchased manufactured housing communities, like the one in North Liberty.

It was one of several notes on Congress of the United States letterhead sent to various investment firms who own mobile homes across the nation. The senator posed the same list of questions, including “what was the rationale for those rent increases?” and a derivative of “how many manufactured homes have been abandoned since Havenpark Capital took over the community?”

Havenpark representatives did not respond to an inquiry by the Press-Citizen.

Longtime residents in the area have seen rent prices gradually increase over the last few decades, but have never seen hikes like the one they will experience over the next year. The hike will come in two phases, with rent increasing in July and again in April.

Resident Michael Aurand said the increase will force him to choose between food and medicine. The rent on the corner lot where he lives with his dog will increase from $315 to $490 by April, an increase he cannot afford on his fixed income.

Uneventful pushes at the city and state level

The newly formed Golfview Tenants Association group met with Loebsack Tuesday at a neighbor’s home.

Aurand had just one question for his representative.

“How do we get the presidential candidates to address this in their debates?” he asked.

It’s a familiar question as association members inch closer to the first rent hike with little to show for state and local advocacy efforts. A Democratic push in the Iowa state house to expand the rights of trailer park tenants failed in the Senate. The bill would have required "good cause" for evictions and expanded the Iowa Attorney Generals' office oversight of "bad actor" park owners.

North Liberty officials held closed-door meetings with Havenpark, but residents say there's little to show for the conversation.

“They have the law on their side,” Lund said. “There is no law.”

Loebsack said he’s not sure what can be done on the federal level to alleviate the rent hikes. He encouraged constituents to continue their campaign to raise awareness of the issue.

“As those presidentials come in, for people to call attention to this issue is really important,” Loebsack said.

Warren is not the first presidential campaign to reach out to the tenant association, said Lund.

"One of Bernie Sanders' people actually contacted me," Lund said. "I'm not going to say I was a Bernie fan or whatever you want to call it, but I know he's a fighter. He'll take on anyone."

"I feel like I'm on Fantasy Island or something"

Tenant association representatives say the rising rent is their most pressing concern with Havenpark's management, but they they have other issues with the new owners as well.

According to the association, the company's lease makes their property more accessible to site management, shortens the timeline for seizing the property and puts restrictions on pets.

Tenants add that the company leadership are not transparent or accessible.

Talking to Loebsack Tuesday, Lund asked if he was remembering correctly: Did Havenpark representatives say they would respond to all inquiries within 24 hours?

"Did they really say that?" he asked. "I feel like I'm on Fantasy Island or something."

Aurand says he feels sick everyday thinking of July 1. His mobile home is the last place he lived with his wife before she died. He's come to rely on his neighbors through medical issues.

He'll have questions for the presidential candidates as they come through Iowa. He's not sure where to address his more general questions about his housing situation.

"When did we lose people being humane to people? I guess that's my main question," he said. "When did we stop caring about what happens to the people we live around?"