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Mobile‑home residents urge Santa Paula council to schedule rent‑stabilization workshop
Summary
Speakers at the City Council meeting urged faster action on the city’s mobile‑home rent‑stabilization ordinance after two well‑attended community forums; residents and advocates said a second reading must occur by September to affect next year’s rent‑increase cycle.
Residents and tenant advocates urged the Santa Paula City Council on May 20 to schedule a workshop soon so ordinance amendments to mobile‑home rent stabilization can be adopted in time for next year’s rent‑increase cycle.
"Hundreds of homeowners from all seven parks attended the two forums, and a show of hands endorsed these proposals," said Gladys Baldovinos, president of the 400 Craig Drive Mobile Homeowners Association, thanking staff and the city attorney for conducting community forums and mail notices. She asked the council to schedule a workshop "as soon as possible" so a strong ordinance can be in place by the fall.
Carl Lawson, who provided a timeline handout to the clerk, told the council that legal and administrative steps mean that a second reading of any amendments must happen by September for them to take effect before the next round of rent‑increase applications. "The timeline that is necessary for the city to follow ... basically boils down to this," he said, and urged the council to move from bullet points to specific draft proposals.
City Manager (staff comment) told the council that staff have begun internal discussions with the city attorney and the community‑development director and will propose a schedule in the coming weeks. He emphasized staff's caution: "We have one shot to bring forward an ordinance that can withstand legal scrutiny and is appropriate for this community."
Why it matters: Mobile‑home parks house large numbers of long‑term residents in Santa Paula; speakers said the community forums attracted hundreds of attendees and voiced broad support for protections. Council and staff acknowledged statutory timing tied to rent‑increase application cycles and said scheduling will follow to align with state and local requirements.
Next steps: Staff committed to returning with a proposed schedule and to take the ordinance through the standard public‑process steps; speakers asked that the council consider a workshop that includes specific drafted amendments rather than conceptual bullet points.
