TITUSVILLE, Fla. — Residents of multiple mobile home parks in Brevard County are pleading with state leaders to protect them from ownership companies. The group of residents told the Brevard delegation to the Florida Legislature on Wednesday night that they have seen the rent on the land increase by more than $100 a month in just the first increase.

Donna Lessard moved to the Whispering Pines community less than a year and a half ago, knowing she had five to six years left to live. She said she and her neighbors can't afford for the prices to increase at this pace. Part of the reason is that many of the residents are on fixed incomes.

“What was a short span of peace is gone, is gone. I have no peace,” explained Lessard.

She had her plan all laid out, but things changed once the owners of Parakeet Communities raised the rent for her land as well as her neighbors'. Lessard explained her rent has gone up by 38%.

“When I was working before my disability, I was able to pick up a shift or whatever when these things happened,” Lessard added. “Rent is high everywhere; we know that. But when we don’t have the ability to pick up a shift, it becomes how do we get groceries, and how do we get our medicines and what are we going to do when it goes up again? Where are we going to go?”

The organization "Manufactured Housing Action" is stepping in to help Lessard and others who claim they’re being taken advantage of. On Wednesday night, the organization called on Brevard County leaders to take action.

“Mobile homes are supposed to be kind of like a last niche of affordable housing, and people are quickly being forced out of their affordable housing,” said Naomi Mojica, the Florida community organizer for Manufactured Housing Action.

Mojica added that leaders should be protecting their most vulnerable communities, which she said she believes include the elderly and disabled. Officials with the delegation told this group and the residents they are aware of the issue and they are looking at what changes they can make to protect these residents.

Lessard said this increase is literally taking years off her life because her plan is now being thrown off course.

“When I bought my home, I had a five- to six-year life expectancy and I was able to do a five-year plan, budget-wise, for the end of my days, and I don’t know that now,” she said.

We reached out to Parakeet Communities and Leasco Management Company, the other company mentioned by residents, about the concerns but have not heard back at this time.