Robin Opsahl | The Des Moines Register

Kelsey Kremer, kkremer@dmreg.com

Arletta Swain, 92, stood on the front porch of her Waukee mobile home with her dog, Wapa, talking to Julián Castro, the former Housing and Urban Development Secretary under President Barack Obama.

She gestured to the crowd of reporters following Castro. "Someone must be running," she said.

"It's me, I'm running for president," Castro responded.

It was the first visit a presidential candidate made to Midwestern County Estates in Waukee, an Iowa mobile home park where residents were recently notified that rents are being raised by nearly 70% in coming months.

It's already gotten attention from politicians like Rep. Cindy Axne and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown denouncing the rent hike.

In addition, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts sent a letter to Havenpark Capital that posed several questions about the rationale for the rent increases and how many homes have been abandoned since the company took over.

But Castro wants to bring it to the 2020 stage.

"If we were to look at the transcripts for the last 40 to 50 years from the Republican and Democratic debates, I bet there hasn't even been one question in the major debate about the issue of housing," Castro said. "We're trying to change that this year."

Havenpark Capital, the Utah-based company that now owns Midwestern County Estates, agreed to stagger the rent increases over time instead of starting July 1. Castro, with a background in housing policy at the federal level, said Waukee residents weren't the only Americans reckoning with skyrocketing rental costs.

{{props.notification}} {{props.tag}} {{props.expression}} {{props.linkSubscribe.text}} {{#modules.acquisition.inline}}{{/modules.acquisition.inline}} ... Our reporting. Your stories. Get unlimited digital access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now

"We see very clearly that there's this housing affordability crisis," Castro said. "What you find is there's not enough protections for renters in these situations. And a lot of times, this is all people have."

Castro told residents he was releasing his housing plan for his 2020 campaign Monday, which included a provision for refundable tax credits for renters in mobile home communities. This measure, coupled with others he plans to unveil, will help people afford housing costs and reduce homelessness.

Robin Opsahl

As he walked with organizers to visit residents around Midwestern County Estates, Castro said people usually don't think of Iowa as a place with a housing cost issue — but what's happening in Waukee and elsewhere proves this is a national issue, not just one in cities like Boston or Los Angeles.

"So many Americans, in every part of the country from every background, are struggling," Castro said. "Whether you're here in Waukee or you're in Iowa City or Des Moines or in Ames, what I always hear is that people are worried about the rising, the spiking of rent. We need to address it."

Even with a longer time-frame, many elderly and fixed-income residents are now having to consider moving, according to park resident Matt Chapman. To help out residents in the most need, laws need to change at both the state and federal level — which is why having presidential candidates like Castro come to the community is important, Chapman said.

"It's important for candidates to come because what's happening here, this is isn't just in mobile home," he said. "There are luxury apartments going up everywhere. ... It's kind of hard to have the American dream if you're having to pay over half of your income on rent."

► Don't miss a campaign stop. Subscribe to the Register's political newsletter.

Castro said he's going to send a letter to Havenpark Capital and call them to see if there's anything he can do to help mobile park residents.

He also may get the chance to talk about his housing policies on the debate stage in Miami later this month. Castro and 19 other presidential hopefuls will participate in a two-night event, which will feature 10 candidates each night. Castro will speak on the first night, June 26.