Midtown Residents Fight Displacement from South Park Estates

Manufactured home community faces closure and redevelopment by property owner

Apr. 5, 2026 at 8:10pm

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Residents of the South Park Estates mobile home park in Midtown Anchorage are facing displacement as the property owner, Shaun Debenham, plans to close the park and redevelop the land into commercial space and luxury apartments. The diverse community of long-time homeowners is asking the city for $35,000 per household to help them relocate, but city officials have offered only $6,000 per family.

Why it matters

The closure of South Park Estates would eliminate one of the last remaining affordable housing options in Midtown Anchorage, a neighborhood that has seen rapid redevelopment and rising costs. The displacement of these working families highlights the broader issue of affordable housing shortages and the challenges lower-income residents face in the face of gentrification.

The details

South Park Estates is home to a diverse community of long-time residents who have invested roughly $70,000 per household to purchase and maintain their manufactured homes. The property owner, Shaun Debenham, has plans to close the park and redevelop the land into commercial space and luxury apartments, similar to his previous project, Block 96, where rents start at $2,450 per month for a one-bedroom. Debenham has offered residents only $6,000 per family to move out early, which the residents say is not enough to cover the $40,000 cost of relocating their homes. The residents are asking the city for $35,000per household to help them move with dignity, but city officials have not provided a satisfactory solution.

  • In 2021, the Anchorage Assembly approved a rezone that opened the South Park Estates land to commercial development, guaranteeing the elimination of the mobile home park.
  • Since the rezone, rent at South Park Estates has increased by 48%, and residents are now responsible for their own trash pickup and street plowing.

The players

Shaun Debenham

The property owner of South Park Estates who plans to close the mobile home park and redevelop the land into commercial space and luxury apartments.

Dean Weidner

A billionaire mentor to Shaun Debenham who has developed similar luxury projects like Block 96 in downtown Anchorage.

Suzanne LaFrance

The mayor of Anchorage who has pledged to build 10,000 new homes in the city, a goal that would be undermined by the closure of South Park Estates.

Anchorage Assembly

The city governing body that approved the rezone of the South Park Estates land, paving the way for the mobile home park's closure.

South Park Estates Manufactured Homeowners Association

A community organization representing the residents of South Park Estates who are fighting against their displacement.

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What they’re saying

“We own our homes. Each family has invested roughly $70,000 — $30,000 to purchase, $20,000 in materials and $20,000 in labor. The cost of moving each home, according to Anchorage Development Services, is approximately $40,000. That's why we have rejected Mr. Debenham's $6,000 offer and ask for $35,000 per family so we can relocate with dignity and without going broke.”

— Sun Khounsinavong and Cliff Whited, Residents of South Park Estates and members of the South Park Estates Manufactured Homeowners Association

“When we've raised these obstacles to Debenham and city officials, they gesture at elaborate social service programs that are deeply conditional or out of reach: We earn too much for assistance, too little to replace our homes. These are not solutions. They are bureaucratic brushes that whitewash our displacement and leave us to bear the full loss. Homeowner to homeless, in one fell swoop.”

— Sun Khounsinavong and Cliff Whited, Residents of South Park Estates and members of the South Park Estates Manufactured Homeowners Association

What’s next

The South Park Estates residents are calling on Mayor Suzanne LaFrance and the Anchorage Assembly to support their request for $35,000 per household in relocation assistance. The city approved the rezone that enabled the park's closure, and the residents argue the city has a responsibility to help them find a solution.

The takeaway

The potential closure of South Park Estates highlights the broader affordable housing crisis in Anchorage, as working families are being priced out of their homes and communities to make way for luxury development. This case underscores the need for stronger tenant protections and more proactive policies to preserve existing affordable housing options.