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Mobile‑home residents urge county to change rent‑control rules, report 4% annual hikes and lease exemptions
Summary
Dozens of mobile‑home park residents addressed the Board during general public comment to request changes to county mobile‑home rent‑control rules and to ask the Board to place the issue on a future agenda; supervisors said staff is investigating and will follow up.
At the April 8 public comment period, eight residents and advocates from multiple mobile‑home parks urged the Board of Supervisors to revise county rent‑control rules, citing steep annual increases, long leases that exempt units from rent control and the financial strain on fixed‑income seniors.
Speakers described similar personal stories: rents that rose from roughly $600 to $800 over a period of years, residents forced to sell cars and forgo heating or air conditioning to pay rent, and examples of long leases (some described as five‑year rollovers or worse) that residents said removed their protections under the local mobile‑home rent‑control ordinance. Several speakers said they had not been fully informed about lease terms when they moved in and reported that a petition representing roughly one‑third of one park’s residents had been collected and presented to the Board.
Supervisor responses: Members of the Board said offices are looking into the issue. Supervisor Hartman asked whether county staff were working with the California Department of Housing and Community Development on interpretation of the state‑level lease exemption; Supervisor Nelson noted his office has sought additional information from HCD and that county staff has already asked questions. The Board did not take formal action at the meeting but several supervisors said they would pursue follow‑up, including further research and possible future agenda items.
Why it matters: Mobile‑home parks house many low‑ and fixed‑income residents who lack alternative affordable housing options. County policy determines how rent‑control protections apply and whether lease structures or exemptions leave residents exposed to inflationary rent increases. Residents told the Board the issue has immediate consequences for health and financial stability.
Public speakers included Lehi Heller (who spoke about shelter volunteer experience and comparative county shelter conditions), long‑term mobile‑home park residents from Orcutt and Santa Maria (Charlotte Dinsmore, Eileen Hunter, Nancy Nicholson, Donna Polling, Rosalie Paola Oden), and community advocates such as Steve Wagner. Residents asked that the Board formally place changes to the mobile home ordinance on a future agenda and said they were prepared to return in force to advocate for change if needed.
Ending: The Board did not take immediate legislative action but several supervisors indicated staff will continue to investigate HCD guidance and county ordinance options; residents said they would press for an agenda item to consider targeted ordinance revisions.
