Mobilehome News

Mobilehome residents are getting ready for the hot weather soon to be hitting Yucaipa. We've already had a taste of 80º temps and not enough rain. Southern California counties are recommending we conserve more water; our drought is not improving. Higher temperatures mean higher cooling costs. For mobilehome residents on a fixed income, a little help is welcome. HEAP Assistance is available for people having trouble meeting their utility bills. You can apply for Emergency Utility Bill Assistance if you have received a disconnect notice for utility accounts. Non-Emergency Utility Bill Assistance may provide an annual HEAP credit to qualifying clients. For information or to apply for assistance, visit the website at www.capsbc.org and link to Utility Assistance. You can also call (909) 723-1500 or an appointment Monday-Friday between 8:00 a.n. and 4:45 p.m.

On January 1, 2022, a new law went into effect in California. It protects mobilehome residents (many of whom are low income or on fixed incomes) from unfair water service charges. It protects mobilehome residents from arbitrary and unfair "service" charges and fees which are currently being billed to some Park residents above the actual amount of water they consume. The bill establishes protections for mobilehome park residents by prohibiting Park management from charging residents for more than their actual share of water service charges paid by the park to the water utility. If you feel you are being over-charged, you can file a complaint with the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) at www.hcd.ca.gov or by calling (951) 782-4431.

 Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks has announced Assembly Bill 2011 which is intended to provide a long-term solution to the housing shortage in the State of California by encouraging construction of more affordable housing. While this bill will not directly affect mobilehome residents, it does remind us that mobilehome parks provide a much needed source of housing, especially for seniors and individuals on limited incomes. Mobilehome parks have become more attractive to investors in recent years for a variety of reasons. The cost of buying an existing park is quite a bit less than buying a traditional multi-family housing community with a similar number of units. The cost of moving mobile homes from one park to another (if it is even possible) means residents are more likely to remain in place, even with rent increases or changes in park rules. This can lead to increased rents, unfair treatment of residents and questionable eviction practices in order to maximize the profits of owners. We need to be vigilant to protect our parks, our rights as tenants and the Yucaipa Rent Stabilization Program that keeps our monthly rents from following the horrendous increases in rent for more traditional housing.