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Mobile-home residents urge Camarillo officials to study rent stabilization; council to bring back informational item
Summary
Multiple residents from Casa Del Norte, Camarillo Mobile Estates and other parks told the council that annual space-rent increases are pricing seniors and fixed-income residents out of Camarillo. Councilmembers said at least two members support bringing back an informational item on rent-stabilization ordinances.
Residents of several Camarillo mobile home parks urged the City Council to study and adopt a space-rent stabilization ordinance to limit annual rent increases, protect senior homeowners and slow displacement.
Speakers during the general public comment period cited repeated annual rent hikes at senior and family mobile-home parks and said space rents in Camarillo are substantially higher than nearby cities. Jeffrey Paluga, who said he lives at Casa Del Norte Senior Mobile Home Park, told council members the parks’ space rent “is reaching $2,035 and $2,012.50 respectively” at two senior parks and that a family park “is at $2,065,” figures he said outstrip rents in neighboring communities. Other residents including Michael Wolf, Charles Taylor, Devo Brown, Marco Leon and Audrey Gross said they had received recent rent-increase notices and described service declines and reduced on-site staffing at some parks.
Charles Taylor said the owner of one park “is currently making over a million dollars a year” from rent income and told the council that maintenance and management staff had been reduced, contributing to visible property deterioration. Several speakers emphasized that mobile homeowners have made substantial investments in their homes and face high relocation costs if forced to move.
Mayor Mary Kildee asked the city attorney for guidance about next steps under the Brown Act; Council Member Martinez Bravo and another council member explicitly said they supported bringing an informational report comparing rent-stabilization ordinances used in other California cities. The mayor said staff would return with the item at a future agendized meeting. The council did not vote on a change in law at the meeting.
Council members acknowledged limits on local authority and said they would seek an informational review. Vice Mayor Tennyson and Council Member Tremblay both expressed support for investigating the matter further.
