Residents urge Santa Paula to schedule immediate workshops as 47% rent increase looms

Public commenters told the Santa Paula City Council on Oct. 15 that the city needs to move faster to fix gaps in its mobile-home rent-stabilization rules after another owner sought a 47% rent increase for a local park.

Several residents from 400 Mobile Estates and other parks said the ordinance’s loopholes let owners file repeat, large increases and leave homeowners—many of them seniors, veterans and long-time residents—facing displacement. “These are families, widows, seniors, veterans,” a resident said, asking the council to set workshops where residents and park owners can exchange written proposals and work through solutions together.

Speakers thanked the council for voting last month to begin amending the mobile-home ordinance but said that progress has been too slow while a new increase application moves through the Rent Review process. One resident asked the city to schedule “true working sessions” with interpretation and materials so all participants can meaningfully engage, rather than relying only on the standard three-minute public-comment format.

City staff told the council they are aiming to schedule a hearing for the 400 Mobile Estates application in early to mid‑November and that staff will reach out to community groups, nonprofits and park stakeholders while preparing a workshop. Councilmembers acknowledged the tension between preserving neutrality in an active Rent Review matter and exercising the city’s authority to revise local ordinance language.

The public comments drew repeated appeals for an expedited, inclusive process that would let residents propose fixes intended to prevent repeat large increases and offer more stable tenancies. For now, city staff and council members said next steps would include scheduling the Rent Review hearing and coordinating outreach and logistics for future ordinance workshops.