Lake County is in dire need of rent stabilization for mobile home parks. Currently owners can raise mobile home park rents as much as they want and as often as they want (with 90 days notice). There are approximately 6,000 people living in some 104 mobile home parks in Lake County. The majority of these are senior citizens living on fixed incomes. These homes are not actually “mobile” and cannot be moved without significant cost to the home owners.
Rent stabilization typically allows annual rent increases limited to a percentage of the cost of living index like the consumer price index [CPI] which amounts to approximately two to three percent per year. Over 90 counties and communities in California currently have rent protection ordinances.
The next task force meeting studying this subject is at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6, at the county courthouse in the conference room on the third floor. The task force is chaired by two county supervisors and composed of three mobile home park owners and three mobile home owners living in mobile home parks. Everyone interested is invited to attend any of the task force meetings.
Vote no on Proposition 90, the “protect our homes-eminent domain” act which will be on the November ballot. If passed, it would make new rent control ordinances in California illegal.
Dick Forbes
Lakeport
