SANGER – As anxiety builds over the fate of rental rates for Sanger’s mobile home park, residents have called upon city leaders to lend a hand.
This issue is of special importance to residents of Vista Del Monte Mobile Home Park, who have expressed continued concern over potential rental rate increases following the upcoming sale of the property. Thus, on Aug. 21, the Sanger City Council went over some ways to preserve affordable housing costs for mobile home parks in the city.
“I really want to let you know how important it is to our seniors,” said Brenda Forth from the Golden State Manufactured-Home Owners League, and Vista Del Monte resident, during public comment. “A lot of them we have are up to 90 years old, they don’t have families. If they get kicked out, what do they do?”
During her comment, Forth explained that the majority of residents rely on the fixed income of Social Security and thus have very tight budgets that revolve around rent. Though the current owners have been fair, she emphasized that most residents can’t afford to be at the mercy of new management.
Forth noted she has been working with Mayor Pro Tem Daniel Martinez for nearly 10 months to pursue different avenues in hopes of finding a solution. She said an attempt was made to purchase the property and turn it into a resident-owned mobilehome park, but the offer was rejected.
Now as time passes and options grow narrower, the residents are seeking any help they can get.
“Anything that we can get closed on this is so important to us, so important. You just can’t imagine until you get older how bad it is,” Forth said to the council.
Searching for a solution
Based on the discussion, it seemed clear that the council was all in favor of helping the residents of Vista Del Monte. But the challenge was finding the best way to go about it.
The initial idea supported by Vista Del Monte residents was for the council to approve an ordinance establishing rent stabilization for mobile home parks, but City Manager Nathan Olson and City Attorney Shannon Chaffin explained that the process would be an uphill battle.
According to Olson, an ordinance of that nature would require findings to prove the need for rent control, and Chaffin later added that rent control ordinances are typically challenged if they don’t have thorough studies, comparables and Consumer Price Index calculations. They noted that during the extensive timeframe required to get all of this done, the property might simply be purchased.
Chaffin then suggested that the best, and likely quickest, method to aid the residents would be to request the help of an organization like Self-Help Enterprises, who successfully took over Fresno’s La Hacienda Mobile Estates on Aug. 4 and will be working to stabilize the park, as reported by GVWire.
La Hacienda went through the scenario that the Vista Del Monte residents currently fear, with tenants being evicted and rents soaring after the property was purchased by a new entity. A lawsuit eventually followed and saw park ownership file for bankruptcy, allowing for the sale of the property to Self-Help and affordable rent returning.
Chaffin explained that at least consulting with an outside organization could open new pathways that can put more control into the hands of residents.
Councilmember Esmeralda Hurtado spoke up in support of Chaffin’s suggestion, disclosing that as an employee of Self-Help Enterprises herself, she would make an effort to facilitate aid from the organization.
Though also in support of helping the mobilehome residents, Councilmember Michael Monetelongo raised concern over potential unintended consequences. He argued that if an entity were to purchase the property and was displeased with the rent control, there would be little the council could do to stop that entity from evicting tenants and doing something else with the land, a reality that Chaffin admitted was entirely possible.
Earlier in the discussion, Olson mentioned that rent control could also discourage other developers from investing in new mobile home parks or senior living communities in the future, and Montelongo echoed this concern during his comments.
“I am in agreement that we should look at every avenue, whatever we can do for our citizens,” Montelongo said. “But I want to make sure that the avenues that we look at don’t hinder them in the long run, I want to be very cautious about that.”
After thorough and contemplative discussion, the council ultimately decided that “Plan A” will be for Hurtado to try to work with Self-Help to discuss more options, while Olson and Chaffin draft a plan for a potential ordinance as a backup. The pair aim to have the plan ready for presentation at the Sept. 18 council meeting.
Though there is still much to be considered in the coming weeks, the concern from the council along with Hurtado’s pledge instilled hope in the residents of Vista Del Monte, with attendees clapping at multiple points throughout the discussion.
While next steps will be heavily reliant on whether a solution or sale of the property comes first, the meeting ended with a mutual understanding of the weight this ongoing discussion carries.
“Every member of this dais here wants to see the residents stay where they are and be able to live where they are… I do want to keep this on the council’s radar as far as things we can do to help the community,” Martinez said during the discussion.
