From the 10/17/07 Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
In vetoing AB 1542 -- a modest attempt at compromise in the latest battle over mobile home park conversions -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger put a desire for process ahead of the needs of people.
In a message, Schwarzenegger said he was vetoing the legislation by Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, because he preferred a "comprehensive approach to ensure that low-income individuals and families are protected, homeownership opportunities are affordable to those who choose them and stability of the home and property is preserved."
We agree with that. What we don't agree with is the governor's apparent willingness to abandon some current mobile home renters -- including senior citizens -- to the flaws in the existing system while the state waits for that perfect "comprehensive approach" to come along. California can't wait. Across the state, between 40 and 50 mobile home parks, including several here in Sonoma County, are in the process of being converted.
Evans' bill did not seek to block those conversions from occurring. Her legislation merely would have allowed local governments to have a voice when a mobile home park owner seeks to subdivide and convert lots to private ownership. Under current law, local rent-control ordinances -- such as those in Santa Rosa and Sonoma County -- are invalid as soon as a single unit is converted to private ownership.
Those most vulnerable to losing out are those renters who are unable to buy the lot under their mobile homes but don't qualify for the special state protections in place for low-income renters. Many of these individuals are at risk of seeing their rents soar and being forced out. It's unfortunate that Schwarzenegger is willing to accept that risk.
If the governor is determined to have a uniform system, he should raise the income requirements for mobile home renters covered by post-conversion rent control and ensure there's enough money in the system to provide low-interest lending assistance to all those who chose to buy their units.
If he's not willing to ensure such a process, he should side with protecting people.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Governor Vetoes Evans Bill Protecting Affordable Mobile Home Housing
The Governor vetoed a bill by Assemblymember Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), Chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus, to protect seniors and working families now living in mobile home parks by regulating the conversion of mobile home parks from rentals to resident ownership.
"This veto is reckless and cold-hearted," said Evans. "Hundreds of thousands of seniors and working families now face being put out on the street. They were counting on the Governor and he really let them down."
AB 1542 would have closed a loophole in current law allowing mobile home park owners to subdivide and convert mobile home parks into condominiums, to avoid local rent control, and to potentially make huge profits in the process. It would also provide local governments in jurisdictions with a local rent control ordinance the opportunity to review and approve applications to convert mobile home parks.
There are about 40 pending mobile home park conversions in varying locations across California, including the cities of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Hayward, Vallejo, Buellton, Carson, Ojai, and San Luis Obispo. Several cities and counties have adopted moratoriums to give the State Legislature time to act on AB 1542.
"I'll keep fighting for mobile home residents," added Evans. "This isn't over. The problem isn't going away. There is nothing stopping developers and land speculators who want to turn mobile homes into condominiums. A lot of people are going to get screwed. Condo ownership is not an option for people of modest means."
Current law allows a mobile home park to be subdivided into residential ownership. But there are no safeguards for local governments to ensure that conversions serve the public interest. If one parcel in a mobile home park is sold, the phase-out of rent control begins for the remaining park residents except for low-income tenants. After 4 years spaces not rented to low-income tenants at the time of conversion can be rented at market rate. This means that a space rented for $600/month today could cost $1,000 to $1,500 in just a few years.
"Mobile homes are an alternative to conventional home ownership," concluded Evans. "Residents own their mobile home but rent the space upon which the home is situated. Even though these homes are called 'mobile,' they are difficult and costly to move. That's why over 100 communities have rent control ordinances to keep rents affordable."
AB 1542 passed the Assembly 41-32 and the Senate 21-16. It is sponsored by the City of Santa Rosa, the County of Sonoma, and the League of Cities. It is supported by the California State Association of Counties, the Sonoma Housing Advocacy Group, the Golden State Manufactured-Home Owners League, the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, and the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California.
A copy of the Governor's veto is available online at http://gov.ca.gov/pdf/press/AB%201542%20veto%20message.pdf.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
