Rent Control a major issue

Picture courtesy of BILL WECHTER | bwechter@nctimes.com

There has been a battle in recent years between mobile home park owners and the residents of their parks. California has rent control in place so you cannot just jack up the rent to whatever you want, it has to be increased on a small schedule - this is especially helpful to the large porportion of mobile home owners who are on fixed incomes.

Here is a news story about this topic being underfire:

"Backers of a ballot measure that would phase out rent control in Oceanside's 17 mobile-home parks have vastly outspent those fighting to keep it, according to reports filed with the city clerk.
Between Jan. 1 and May 19 ---- the latest date for which figures are available ---- the political action committee supporting Proposition E had raised $238,348. That's on top of the $16,775 that the committee ---- Taxpayers and Property Owners for Fairness, Yes on E ---- had raised in 2011.
The committee is sponsored by the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association, an industry group for mobile-home park owners.
By comparison, groups opposed to Prop. E reported combined contributions in 2012 of nearly $45,000.
Councilman Jerry Kern, who championed Prop. E, said those supporting it needed more money, in part to overcome what he called the emotional appeal of those trying to keep rent control for mobile-home park residents.
"All the emotions are on their side," Kern said. "It's very hard to go against somebody who says, 'They're going to take my home away.'"
Kern said voters also are more inclined to vote against a ballot measure, particularly if they aren't sure what the measure is about.
"If you're confused, you usually vote 'no,' so we have to get a clear message out there," Kern said.
Mobile-home residents who are fighting the ballot measure have no way to match the money that Prop. E supporters have poured into the campaign, said Chris Gow, president of the Oceanside Manufactured Homeowners Alliance, an organization representing mobile-home residents.
"We have people power," Gow said. "We just have to keep doing what we have been doing. We have our rallies, and we're hitting the grocery stores with our brochures and word of mouth."
Money raised by groups fighting against Prop. E includes $16,643 raised by the political action committee Save Oceanside; $16,190 raised by the political action committee Taxpayers for Oceanside Neighborhoods; and $12,141 raised by the Oceanside Manufactured Homeowners Alliance.
The alliance was not required to report contributions because it is not a political action committee like the other groups, said Assistant City Clerk Holly Trobaugh."


To read the whole article, visit this site:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/oceanside/oceanside-rent-control-supporters-outspent-by-those-want-to-end/article_c2cde58b-2de2-5690-8400-716dbfe0e6b3.html

Obviously, this is a serious issue. Mobile homes are considered, especially in California, as low-income housing. There is nothing low about a $800 to $1500 monthly space rent amount.

We will be watching this topic closely for sure.