Johnson County Supervisors Meet with Mobile Home Park Owner

Havenpark Communities representatives discuss resident concerns over water quality and rent increases

Jan. 28, 2026 at 7:55pm

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A meeting between two members of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors and representatives of Havenpark Communities, a Utah-based mobile home park owner, took place in Iowa City. The supervisors and Havenpark discussed resident concerns over water quality issues and rent increases at Havenpark-owned properties in the area. Both sides described the meeting as constructive, with the supervisors expressing cautious optimism about future collaboration to address the problems.

Why it matters

The meeting represents an attempt by local government to intervene on behalf of mobile home park residents who have faced water quality problems and steep rent hikes since Havenpark Communities purchased several parks in the Iowa City area in 2022. The supervisors' involvement comes at the request of local affordable housing advocates, highlighting the broader issue of preserving affordable housing options in the face of corporate ownership changes.

The details

During the closed-door meeting, the supervisors presented water samples from the mobile home parks to Havenpark representatives, who declined to drink the water but said they would prefer residents drink from their own faucets. Havenpark acknowledged a recent incident of low water pressure at one of the parks. The residents have also reported the loss of amenities like cable TV, lawn mowing, and on-site maintenance since Havenpark took over. The advocacy group JCRU has pushed for a two-year rent increase moratorium to allow Havenpark to address maintenance issues, but the company has said it has invested $2.1 million in improvements across the properties.

  • In May 2026, the Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition and JCRU asked the county supervisors to get involved in addressing resident concerns.
  • The meeting between the supervisors and Havenpark representatives took place on Tuesday, January 28, 2026.

The players

Johnson County Board of Supervisors

The governing body of Johnson County, Iowa, which has gotten involved in addressing issues between mobile home park residents and the owner Havenpark Communities.

Havenpark Communities

A Utah-based company that purchased several mobile home parks in the Iowa City area in 2022, leading to resident concerns over water quality and rent increases.

Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition

A local advocacy group that works with mobile home park residents and requested the county supervisors get involved in addressing issues with Havenpark Communities.

Johnson County Residents United (JCRU)

A group that advocates for safe conditions in mobile home parks and has pushed for a rent increase moratorium on Havenpark-owned properties.

V Fixmer-Oraiz

A Johnson County supervisor who attended the meeting with Havenpark representatives.

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What they’re saying

“I think that our position was that they could improve in that area, and they seemed to agree with us, and kind of said that they would try to do better. And so we'll see if that happens.”

— Rod Sullivan, Johnson County Supervisor

What’s next

The supervisors said Havenpark is working on putting together a timeline of planned infrastructure improvements, and they hope to facilitate a future meeting that involves mobile home park residents.

The takeaway

This meeting represents an attempt by local government to address the concerns of mobile home park residents who have faced water quality issues and rent hikes under the new corporate ownership of their communities. The supervisors expressed cautious optimism about the potential for future collaboration, but the long-term outcomes remain to be seen as Havenpark works to address the residents' pressing problems.