The San Marcos city council last week agreed to extend a moratorium to prevent converting senior mobile home parks to all ages.
First passed on Dec. 2, the urgency ordinance was set to expire, and residents begged the council to keep it going.
"In order to try to preserve our housing, this was at least one step," said park dweller John Moser.
The city's twelve mobile home parks are one of few cheap housing options for the gray haired, but if parks begin letting younger renters in, it could open the door to monthly price hikes.
"We could easily be priced out of our homes just as it is now, even with the city's rent control ordinance," Moser said.
It began last August when one park, Lakeview Mobile Estates on Discovery Street, updated their regulations to include a clause Moser said "put senior housing under fire."
That is, a provision which said the park reserves the right to change from a senior to an all-ages park at some point in the future. He pointed to the room full of seniors who fear the change could spread. Lakeview's current lot rent ranges from $450-$750 per month. Lakeview Mobile Estates | 809 Discovery Street, San Marcos, CA 92078 | MHBO.com
"We see different things happening in different parks. El Dorado used to have a sign out front that said 55+; now they have a new owner, that sign disappeared."
It wasn't even clear when, or if, all residents got Lakeview's 180-day written notice the law requires when park owners change their regulations.
So there was no way to know when the 180 days began, after which the rules would take effect, said deputy city attorney, Jacqueline Paterno.
"This was alarming to us," she said, because the park might have a different idea of when the start of the notice period began for a change from senior to all ages. It would leave the city with no time to act.
Since the initial urgency ordinance was passed, the park's attorney has told the city Lakeview doesn't intend to switch to an all-ages park. Under federal law, senior mobile home parks can already have up to 20 percent of non-senior residents.
Taking no chances on park owners who might eventually try to loosen the age requirements, the city will use the 10-month moratorium to prepare a permanent plan to protect the old
The latest resolution, which will end around November 29, adds new safeguards by requiring park owners to notify the city of any proposed rule changes.
Julie Paulie, a lobbyist for the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association, which represents park owners, urged the city not to extend the moratorium, saying there had been no outreach to any of the affected park owners other than Lakeview.
The "hostile rezone to a senior-only mobile home park overlay zone" is certain to draw lawsuits, she said.
The San Marcos city council last week agreed to extend a moratorium to prevent converting senior mobile home parks to all ages.
First passed on Dec. 2, the urgency ordinance was set to expire, and residents begged the council to keep it going.
"In order to try to preserve our housing, this was at least one step," said park dweller John Moser.
The city's twelve mobile home parks are one of few cheap housing options for the gray haired, but if parks begin letting younger renters in, it could open the door to monthly price hikes.
"We could easily be priced out of our homes just as it is now, even with the city's rent control ordinance," Moser said.
It began last August when one park, Lakeview Mobile Estates on Discovery Street, updated their regulations to include a clause Moser said "put senior housing under fire."
That is, a provision which said the park reserves the right to change from a senior to an all-ages park at some point in the future. He pointed to the room full of seniors who fear the change could spread. Lakeview's current lot rent ranges from $450-$750 per month. Lakeview Mobile Estates | 809 Discovery Street, San Marcos, CA 92078 | MHBO.com
"We see different things happening in different parks. El Dorado used to have a sign out front that said 55+; now they have a new owner, that sign disappeared."
It wasn't even clear when, or if, all residents got Lakeview's 180-day written notice the law requires when park owners change their regulations.
So there was no way to know when the 180 days began, after which the rules would take effect, said deputy city attorney, Jacqueline Paterno.
"This was alarming to us," she said, because the park might have a different idea of when the start of the notice period began for a change from senior to all ages. It would leave the city with no time to act.
Since the initial urgency ordinance was passed, the park's attorney has told the city Lakeview doesn't intend to switch to an all-ages park. Under federal law, senior mobile home parks can already have up to 20 percent of non-senior residents.
Taking no chances on park owners who might eventually try to loosen the age requirements, the city will use the 10-month moratorium to prepare a permanent plan to protect the old
The latest resolution, which will end around November 29, adds new safeguards by requiring park owners to notify the city of any proposed rule changes.
Julie Paulie, a lobbyist for the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association, which represents park owners, urged the city not to extend the moratorium, saying there had been no outreach to any of the affected park owners other than Lakeview.
The "hostile rezone to a senior-only mobile home park overlay zone" is certain to draw lawsuits, she said.
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