Residents press Saco council for a strong rent‑stabilization ordinance as staff releases draft options

Dozens of residents and housing advocates urged the Saco City Council on Monday to finalize a rent‑stabilization ordinance to protect mobile home park tenants, as staff described draft options that would limit rent increases and create a hearing process for larger raises.

"We first came here back in September with two clear requests: an emergency moratorium to protect the residents and a rent stabilization ordinance," said Kathy Dobbins, a Blue Haven resident, noting the moratorium was enacted but that residents are "still waiting on an ordinance." Dobbins told the council a committee member had resigned and sold their home amid rent increases and said residents planned to pursue their state first‑refusal rights if owners sell.

Barb Thomas, who said Blue Haven residents have formed the Blue Haven Resident Cooperative to pursue purchase of the park, urged the council to adopt a "robust fair rent ordinance" with real enforcement. "We expect this council to honor its promise in full, show genuine sincerity, and pass a strong rental stabilization ordinance immediately," she said.

Deputy Administrator Prescott told the council staff is drafting a new ordinance that would sit beneath the city’s mobile homes code and include a purpose statement, applicability and exemptions, definitions, limits on the number of rent increases per year, a base‑rent calculation (one option being the consumer price index plus 1 percent), vacancy‑based rules for legal vacancies, violation provisions and an appeals process. "I'm envisioning having a rent increases that require a hearing and a rent increases that do not require a hearing section," Prescott said, describing a two‑track process for ordinary versus above‑baseline raises.

Councilors asked clarifying questions about exemptions, whether a resident‑owned park would be covered, alternatives to CPI and how vacancy‑based increases would work. Prescott said owner‑occupied parks could be written into exemptions and that he would distribute a draft ordinance to council within "two to three weeks" for review and potential workshop and legal review.

Labor organizer Dan Newman, speaking for the Maine AFL‑CIO, offered support and examples from other Maine municipalities that have passed lot‑rent stabilization measures and said organizers have seen broad voter support in other towns.

What the council decided

The council did not vote on an ordinance Monday. Prescott said staff will finish the draft and circulate it to councilors and the affordable housing task force for input, followed by a legal review and possible workshops. No timeline for final adoption was set beyond the distribution of the draft in two to three weeks.

Why it matters

Mobile home parks house many residents on fixed incomes who say sudden lot‑rent increases can force moves and housing instability. Residents at Blue Haven described maintenance shortfalls and said they need binding protections and clear tenant‑centered processes if rents are to be limited or contested.

Next steps

Deputy Administrator Prescott will distribute a draft ordinance to the council in two to three weeks and accept written comments; the council may schedule a workshop or return the item to new business for further refinement and legal review.

Votes at the meeting (related council business)

The council approved several procedural items during the same meeting (roll call tallies below correspond to the roll calls recorded): the May 18 minutes (motion by Councilor Edwards, second by Councilor Parks; passed 6‑0), an order authorizing a lease purchase of five municipal vehicles in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $1,900,000 (motion by Councilor Johnston; passed 6‑0), and a special entertainment permit for Townhouse Pub (Super Chief LLC) to run concurrent with a pending state liquor license (motion by Councilor Johnston; passed 6‑0).

Reporting note: Quotes and attributions come from public comment and staff remarks recorded at the June 1, 2026 Saco City Council meeting.