Prop E Worries Oceanside Mobile Home Residents

Oceanside where mobile home residents are frightened they might soon lose their homes

Oceanside where mobile home residents are frightened they might soon lose their homes, if a ballot measure passes.

Oceanside's Proposition E, known as vacancy decontrol, is a measure to get rid of rent control for manufactured homes that was put in place, back in 1984.

That's because some mobile home residents say, if vacancy decontrol does pass, their rights to keep stable rents, will be jeopardized.

“By just raising the rent where there are no rent protections, they're able to capture these homes, target helpless homeowners, the weak, the elderly, and it's a travesty,” said Linda Walshaw, a mobile home resident.

 "It is misleading in they say we won't be affected. Because when we go to sell our homes for whatever reason, no one will purchase it, knowing that rent can be raised - unlimited."

But mobile home park owners and residents have a difference of opinion.

"Believe me, if we had it our way, we wouldn't have rent control at all, but these people signed on for rent control, they deserve to have rent control, but they don't deserve to sell it to the next person,” said mobile home park owner Amy Epsten.  "It's a business and we don't restrict any other kind of business."

These manufactured park owners said if land stays stuck at 1984 market values, they could go out of business.

"We want it to be a fifth generation; it's a family business,” said one owner.

But residents say their relatives won't be able to afford to keep the homes in their family when prices skyrocket.

The mobile home park residents complained about the park owners contributing to certain Councilmembers' campaigns, including Jerome Kern's.

Owners said they have a right to support candidates who will try to help them, just as the residents to.
 

For more on the issues voters will be weighing in on, check out our political coverage on our Decision 2012 page. 

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