Mobile homes are a unique form of homeownership in that people own their homes but rent the land underneath them. In some parks in Pima County, particularly those with a master meter system where the park owner is the customer of a utility company, organizers have seen troubling reports of higher-than-average utility bills that have then led to evictions. 

Part 2 of a four-part documentary collaboration between Arizona Public Media and Arizona Luminaria, building on over a year of Luminaria’s coverage of heat and displacement in manufactured homes, looks at the story of Roseanne Aldama.

Part 2 of the series premiers Sunday, Nov. 9 on Arizona Illustrated on PBS 6 at 6:30 p.m. Watch Part 1 below.

YouTube video

Aldama was evicted over a contested utility bill last fall, but advocates say her case is not unique, and highlights systemic issues impacting manufactured home residents. 

But over the last several years, a wave of organizing has risen that aims to address these issues and fill gaps in accountability. The goal: help make manufactured home communities in Pima County the thriving and affordable communities they could be.

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Yana Kunichoff is a reporter, documentary producer and Report For America corps member based in Tucson. She covers community resilience in Southern Arizona. Previously, she covered education for The Arizona...