Mesa Mobile Home Park Closing, Residents Forced to Abandon Homes

High moving costs leave many with no choice but to leave their homes behind

Apr. 10, 2026 at 4:49am

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An impressionistic, out-of-focus scene of a mobile home park, with blurred shapes and muted, earthy tones conveying a sense of melancholy and displacement.As affordable housing options dwindle, the forced relocation of mobile home residents reveals the human toll of the growing housing crisis.Mesa Today

Owners of dozens of mobile homes in a Mesa, Arizona park have until the end of the month to vacate the property, as the park is being sold and redeveloped. Many residents are facing thousands of dollars in moving costs that exceed the state's relocation assistance, forcing them to abandon their homes.

Why it matters

The closure of this mobile home park highlights the growing affordable housing crisis, as mobile homes are often one of the last remaining options for low-income residents to own their own homes. The high costs of relocating are pricing out many vulnerable homeowners, leaving them with no choice but to walk away from their homes.

The details

Felicia Donnelly, a resident of the mobile home park, said she received quotes between $30,000 and $50,000 to move her 1970s double-wide home, far exceeding the state's relocation assistance of up to $20,000 for a double-wide. With necessary code repairs added on, Donnelly said the decision became heartbreaking, and a lot of homes in the park have already been abandoned. Pamela Bridge, an advocate for mobile home owners through the non-profit law firm Community Legal Services, said mobile homeowners are some of the most vulnerable homeowners in the state, and that the high costs of moving are worth more than the value of the homes themselves.

  • Residents were given a 180-day notice to vacate the property by the end of April 2026.
  • The Arizona Department of Housing's relocation fund was increased in 2023 to provide up to $20,000 for moving a double-wide mobile home.

The players

Felicia Donnelly

A resident of the mobile home park who put her heart into making her 1970s double-wide her home, but is now facing thousands of dollars in moving costs that exceed the state's relocation assistance.

Pamela Bridge

An advocate for mobile home owners through the non-profit law firm Community Legal Services, who says mobile homeowners are some of the most vulnerable homeowners in the state.

Arizona Department of Housing

The state agency that provides relocation assistance of up to $20,000 for moving a double-wide mobile home, which has been increased from previous levels.

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What they’re saying

“They had told us they sold the park and they were going to fix it up, take all the old trailers out, make it nice again so it was a nice place to live, and then two months later, we got an eviction saying they're going to build condos here.”

— Felicia Donnelly, Resident

“Homeowners for mobile homes is one of our last affordable housing options. We believe that mobile homeowners are some of our most vulnerable homeowners in the state.”

— Pamela Bridge, Advocate, Community Legal Services

“Way overcharging, and it's pretty much what they're doing. I mean, we live in these parks because we don't have money.”

— Felicia Donnelly, Resident

What’s next

The state is unable to regulate the prices charged by licensed mobile home movers, leaving many residents with no choice but to abandon their homes. Advocates are calling for policy changes to better protect mobile homeowners facing park closures and unaffordable relocation costs.

The takeaway

This story highlights the growing affordable housing crisis, as the closure of this mobile home park in Mesa forces many low-income residents to make the heartbreaking decision to abandon their homes due to exorbitant moving costs that far exceed the state's relocation assistance. It underscores the vulnerability of mobile homeowners and the need for policy reforms to better protect this vulnerable population.