Ruskin mobile home park struggling to recover after back-to-back hurricanes

Mobile home parks in rebuilding process after storms

Aaron Mesmer reports

RUSKIN, Fla. - Mobile home parks across the Tampa Bay area are dealing with extensive damage following back-to-back hurricanes, forcing both tenants and landlords to face challenging situations.

Edgewater mobile home park in Ruskin is among the family-owned properties in the region whose owners said they were left trying to figure out how to recover while meeting the needs of tenants. The owners told FOX 13 more than 20 units suffered wind, water damage or both during Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The landlords said they've tried to help connect tenants with FEMA and have offered to let them out of their leases, but most are choosing to stay. Meanwhile, the Edgewater's owners said they've applied for federal loans and, while they wait for responses from the government, have already spent about $50,000 out-of-pocket.

READ: Hillsborough County working to alleviate flooding in Seffner neighborhood

It's unclear how long it'll take to fix every mobile home in Edgewater, in part, because the owners are struggling to find workers to speed up the repairs, leaving some tenants struggling to decide what to do.

"I have no money to go nowhere. My girlfriend, my dogs...that's all I got. I had to miss work again today because of the situation. I keep missing work, which means no money. My hands are tied," said Josh Broughton, an Edgewater tenant, who said his unit flooded during Helene, then had its roof ripped off during Milton. "There's mold through the whole house, my windows leak, the floors have been saturated."

"This is a major health concern. I have asthma. I have an inhaler. I don't need to be inhaling this," added Sarah Peterson, who lives with Broughton.

Hillsborough County Code Enforcement told FOX 13 this is good information for tenants in all situations to keep in mind: Landlords must maintain a livable situation, which includes responding to electrical, plumbing and structural issues, along with health concerns. Tenants with questions can call their county's code enforcement office.

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