A Palmetto mobile home resident has a new roof and carport after a nonprofit completed its first-ever mobile home repair in Manatee County on Wednesday, Aug. 12, with three more Sarasota-Manatee area projects planned before December that could help homeowners across the region, including in the Lakewood Ranch area.
Rebuilding Together Greater Florida repaired a severely damaged roof and replaced a destroyed carport at Peter Previte's home in the Shadow Brook mobile home community, according to WWSB. The work came just ahead of peak hurricane season and nearly two years after the 2024 storms left many Shadow Brook residents unable to afford or coordinate repairs.
"I can hardly hear the rain anymore, so the roof is so good," Previte said. "... We know that the storms are coming. I just feel so much safer now that [it is] up to the new standards and codes of this build."
Nonprofit spent months mastering mobile home construction before launch
The 25-year-old nonprofit, which provides free home repairs to qualifying low-income homeowners, expanded into mobile home work in June after spending months learning the specialized construction techniques, identifying contractors and confirming supplier availability. CEO Jose Garcia said mobile homes require a fundamentally different construction approach, and the organization took time to master it before launching the program.
The Shadow Brook community suffered widespread damage during the 2024 hurricane season, which included Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Many residents in the park could not afford the repairs on their own.
Previte called the assistance "truly a miracle" and said the crew treated him with respect throughout the process.
Construction manager DJ June said the program addresses more than storm damage. He encouraged mobile homeowners who need help with health, safety or mobility improvements to contact the organization.
Nine mobile home projects planned statewide through December
Rebuilding Together Greater Florida has nine confirmed mobile home repair projects planned statewide through December: three in the Sarasota-Manatee area, one in Kissimmee and five in the Pasco County-Tampa Bay area.
Sarasota and Manatee County residents, including those in unincorporated areas near Lakewood Ranch, can call 813-614-2962 or apply online at rtgfl.org/get-help to request assistance. The organization provides roof and window replacements, flooring repairs, accessibility modifications, HVAC installations and full rebuilds at no cost to qualified applicants.
