In a visit to Iowa City and North Liberty, Massachusetts Senator and presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren listened to the concerns of residents facing rising rent costs. 

Warren toured the Golfview mobile home park in North Liberty Friday afternoon. 

Golfview mobile home was acquired by Havenpark Capital in March 2019. Residents saw significant rent increases of 58%. 

In May, Warren sent a letter addressed to Havenpark Capital, the owners of the Golfview mobile park, along with several other mobile home park management companies. 

In the letter, Warren expressed concerns that residents of mobile home communities are vulnerable to exploitation by management companies. 

Warren was joined Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, as well as by Golfview residents Candi Evans, Cindy Wade, and Shawn Evans. 

Wahls introduced legislation to require mobile homes to give more notice of rent increase. 

Warren spoke with Golfview resident Don Lund, who has lived at Golfview for over 20 years. He told Warren although he could move to a different area for cheaper rent, he does not want to leave his community and his job covering Hawkeye sports. 

“This is my home. This is my community,” Lund said. “I’m kind of living my dream, going on the sidelines, taking pictures – so why would I want to move?”

Residents also expressed concerns that the company imposes strict regulations on residents, not allowing them to have basketball goals or inflatable pools on their lawns. 

Warren has released a plan to reform private equity companies like Havenpark capital. 

Warren told Golfview residents she takes issue with the practices of hedge fund management companies like Havenpark. 

“These hedge funds that come in, they buy up business, they strip out all the value. They leave a hollow shell running through bankruptcy,” Warren said. “They don’t care, they make their money and whatever’s left behind is their problem.”

Warren also visited Hamburg Inn No. 2 for lunch in Iowa City, where she ordered a rhubarb pie shake and spoke with voters. Warren was accompanied by Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City. 

Hamburg Inn has been visited by several other 2020 hopefuls. The restaurant has not yet started its “coffee bean caucus,” where guests visiting Hamburg Inn cast their votes as an informal poll.