Rental Housing Committee recommends 60%‑of‑CPI AGA, removes floor and keeps 5% ceiling for mobile‑home rent ordinance

The Mountain View Rental Housing Committee on Dec. 12 recommended that the city consider amending the Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance (MHRSO) to lower the annual general adjustment (AGA) from 100% of CPI to 60% of CPI, eliminate the ordinance’s 2% floor and retain a 5% ceiling. The recommendation will be forwarded to City Council; staff said ordinance amendments could be drafted in time for March if the council directs it.

Housing Director Wayne Chan and Rent Stabilization Manager Anki Van Dursen presented background on MHRSO, including its origin as a targeted response after Measure V/CSFRA and its 2021 adoption. Staff characterized Mountain View as near the top of the range of comparable cities for the AGA but at the lower end for the 5% ceiling. Staff’s written recommendation had been to consider lowering the AGA to 75% of CPI while leaving floor and ceiling in place; the committee debated but ultimately adopted a more tenant‑oriented motion to 60% of CPI with no floor.

Residents who testified described fixed incomes, seniors on Social Security and families facing compounding rent increases; several urged elimination of the 2% floor and adoption of a lower AGA (one resident described a proposal of 60% of CPI with a 3% ceiling and no floor). “The current mobile home ordinance is not working, and staff's recommendation on fixing it falls woefully short,” said a resident speaker who noted two families recently left their park because they could not afford increases. Others highlighted that many mobile‑home residents pay their own utilities and bear repair costs.

Park owners and manager groups, including Hometown America and the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association (WMA), urged retaining the ordinance structure and warned that lowering the AGA or imposing no floor could harm operators’ ability to maintain communities and invest in infrastructure. Hometown America’s Sarah Cunningham said Mountain View’s combination currently balances resident protections and owner needs, citing average recent annual increases and resale values.

Committee discussion examined tradeoffs: some members emphasized tenant hardship and the city’s policy goal of preserving affordable housing, while others stressed the MNOI (maintenance of net operating income) petition process that allows owners to seek upward adjustments if they can show costs justify it. Members also discussed data gaps—how owner costs, vacancy control, and rollback effects vary—and asked staff for further analytic support for council deliberations.

Member Keating moved the recommendation to City Council to eliminate the 2% floor, set the AGA to 60% of CPI and retain the 5% ceiling; the motion was seconded and passed. Staff will present the committee’s recommendation to City Council in January and, if directed, return with ordinance amendments by March to meet the housing element timeline.