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San Marcos residents urge council to curb compounding rent hikes ahead of June hearing
Summary
Residents of San Marcos Mobile Estates told the City Council small annual rent raises have compounded over years, leaving seniors and low-income households unable to absorb increases; the council scheduled a tentative hearing on the rent-control petition for June 9.
John Moer, president of the San Marcos Mobile Estates homeowners association, told the City Council on April 14 that the park’s residents rely on the city’s ordinance limiting extreme rent hikes but still face mounting pressure from repeated small increases. “We have an ordinance that helps protect us against extreme rent increases,” Moer said, adding that “a $35 a month” increase can amount to a roughly 5.5% rise and, when compounded year after year, imposes a much larger burden on long-term residents.
Moer said that past percentage increases, though modest in isolation, now carry greater financial weight because they compound over time. He pointed to examples from the last six years to illustrate how cumulative increases can push residents toward unaffordability and said the HOA will continue negotiating with owners to limit impacts on tenants.
Resident Joan Suggle described ongoing maintenance problems at the park and questioned whether owners and the current management company are addressing repair needs even as they seek higher rent. “They’re so deficient on fixing anything at this place. It’s beyond ridiculous,” Suggle told the council, and she warned the council that many seniors “can't afford this” and that poor conditions are creating serious stress among residents.
Mayor Rebecca Jones announced that the city has set a tentative public hearing on the rent-control petition for June 9 at 3 p.m. at City Hall and encouraged residents to attend, while staff cautioned the date may need to be rescheduled. The council did not take a final vote on policy changes at the April 14 meeting; the scheduled hearing will be the forum for formal consideration and public testimony.
Why it matters: Mobile-home park residents are frequently on fixed or limited incomes, and even modest rent increases can force trade-offs on food, medicine and other necessities. The scheduled hearing will give residents, owners and the council an opportunity to review petitions, evidence and potential adjustments to ordinance implementation.
What’s next: The council’s June 9 hearing (tentative) will include the petition review and public comment; the city said it will notify interested parties if the date changes.
