On Thursday, several people met with two lawmakers at the Minnesota State Capitol to kick off a campaign to organize manufactured home park residents to address what they say are skyrocketing rents and unsafe living conditions.

They are placing blame on out-of-state private equity firms that have been purchasing these communities over the past five years.

State Sen. Liz Boldon and state Rep. Matt Norris, both Democrats, were authors of a bill introduced earlier this year that would cap annual lot rent increases to 3%, and give residents a chance to purchase the lot they live on.

Gwen Elliott, who lives in a manufactured home park community in Blaine, said her rent went up more than 40% in the past five years.

"I had to go back to work after 30 years of hard work at UPS to afford my lot

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