Grab some popcorn, and maybe one of those stress ball things, because this week we released Priced Out — a 28-minute investigative documentary into mobile home park ownership in Washington. For more than a year, our team has looked at how Port Orchard-based ownership group Hurst & Son LLC has spent millions to buy up dozens of mobile home communities across the state since the pandemic, often raising rental rates and imposing strict new policies. We talked to residents from Aberdeen to Spokane who said the rent hikes have put them at risk of “economic eviction.”
Cascade PBS spoke with residents of Hurst & Son-owned mobile home parks across Washington state who say the company's rent hikes and management policies have strained their ability to stay in their homes.
Hurst & Son states it has increased rents to pay for investments in keeping communities sustainable, but residents say they see reduced maintenance and ongoing public health issues at a number of parks. Watch the documentary to see how tenants are fighting back and how the state’s Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program plays a role in that ongoing process. The piece will air again at noon Friday on Cascade PBS.
A companion story explores how Hurst & Son’s growth mirrors a national private equity playbook that consolidates parks and leverages revenue out of captive tenants.
If you or someone you know faces similar challenges with mobile home housing, check out our new guide to mobile home landlord-tenant protections and find advice from advocates on how to utilize the Dispute Resolution Program. We have tried to pull together resources and official guidance on seeking help or filing complaints.
💡 Reporter pro-tip: As described in the housing guide above, you can search for local landlords, businesses or utility providers in consumer complaint data from the Attorney General’s Office to see how many allegations have been filed against them. There are not a lot of details online (and they are just allegations), but it can be helpful to see if there are repeat issues, and you can request additional records on complaints from the office.
Derrik lost both his legs in June 2023, the summer after his sophomore year of high school, while working for a large construction company in southwestern Washington as part of a school program that allowed him to earn class credit for hours on the job. (Lizz Giordano/Cascade PBS)
Our WA Workplace Watch project also published a deep-dive into how local schools and the state oversee work-based learning programs in which students get credit for hours on the job. Reporter Lizz Giordano spent time with a teen who lost both legs while working with unauthorized equipment at a construction site.
“A kid loses two legs, this is a huge failure,” a retired youth labor specialist said. “This is beyond failure. I don’t even have words for how tragic and how completely preventable it was. It’s just infuriating to me.”
The state Department of Labor & Industries has pledged to develop new internal guidelines for authorizing work through these programs. Our team plans to keep an eye on those new policies.
Reporter Brandon Block also unpacked the legal challenges around noncompete agreements in Washington and how a recent state law limiting such contracts has not stopped one company from suing a former employee.
The chief of logistics for the Puget Sound hospital system says he’s being punished for speaking out about deteriorating building conditions. Read more
Donations made to Cascade PBS are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. CPM, which includes Cascade PBS, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Federal Tax ID: 91-1221895. CPM is registered with the WA Secretary of State's office under the charitable solicitation act at chapter 19.09 RCW. You may contact the Washington Secretary of State at 800.332.4483 or visit sos.wa.gov/charities for more information.
