Residents of two Island Communities mobile home parks in Richmond fear for their futures.
For a second time, they requested help from Richmond Common Council, returning to council’s Sept. 8 meeting after first presenting council an ordinance providing mobile home residents protections July 6. About 25 residents in attendance were again told there’s little the city can do, but the state might have more authority and resources to help.
“We request that you guys send inspectors, auditors or thoroughly investigate these matters and help protect our residents,” said Debbi Funk, an 11-year resident at Mobile Manor. “We really need your help in placing senior citizen protection laws in effect for our town.”
Florida-based Island Communities now owns Mobile Manor on Indiana Avenue and Leisure Village on South Q Street. They are two of eight Indiana properties Island Communities owns.
Funk listed management problems, such as unexpected fee markups, a lack of communication and an activities budget that remains unspent. In addition, she said a resident’s lease agreement with a previous owner was ignored and a higher rental rate charged. Another resident was provided an incorrect account number, Funk said, and now faces eviction after making payments into that account.
Suzanne Phenis, a Mobile Manor resident since 2020, said the park “was a great place to live,” but now residents wonder what they’re going to do. She said 14 mobile homes are for sale, and owners are struggling to sell them.
“This is such a crisis for these people who are going to lose their homes,” she said. “There’s nothing they can do. The houses won’t sell because the rent is so high, so they’re just stuck.”
Phenis said Island Communities ignores her phone calls and emails.
Carla Harris said Leisure Village, where she’s lived 12 years, does not have signage directing visitors or emergency personnel to lots. There used to be street names, she said, but now the park just uses lot numbers.
When her house caught fire in 2017, Harris watched fire engines proceed down the wrong streets before finding the fire.
“Simple signage at our main intersection could be a life-saving factor for our residents,” Harris said.
Council President Justin Burkhardt said the city could connect Richmond Police and Richmond Fire departments to residents so the emergency services understand the Leisure Village layout.
Burkhardt also promised to provide Phenis with contact information for State Rep. Brad Barrett and State Sen. Jeff Raatz.
“Maybe some folks on the state level will have some options that we don’t,” Burkhardt said.
In a Sept. 7 news release from Richmond Housing and Health Rights Coalition, a representative wrote that recent changes at the parks have “placed a significant burden on residents, most of whom live on fixed incomes” and that residents are concerned they won’t be able to stay in their housing amid rising costs.
A version of this article appeared in the September 16 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
