Rocklin Municipal Code Art. I Purpose and Findings

The city council of the city finds and declares as follows:

A. A significant majority of the residents of mobile home parks in the city are older individuals or couples living on fixed incomes.

B. These residents qualify as "low" and "lower" income households and typically expend more than thirty percent of their income on housing-related expenses.

C. Nearly two-thirds of the residents own their mobile homes outright, having made a substantial monetary investment to live in a mobile home park.

D. Nearly all mobile home park residents own and occupy their mobile home.

E. Residents of a mobile home park have very limited mobility due to the difficulty and expense of relocating a mobile home.

F. Due to their limited incomes, the large investment in their mobile homes, and the immobility of mobile homes, mobile home park residents generally have very limited economic bargaining power concerning rents charged for mobile home lots.

G. There is a limited amount of alternative housing affordable to and suitable for the typical mobile home park resident.

H. During the two years prior to enactment of mobile home rent control in the city, mobile home lot rents increased substantially. During the time mobile home rent control has been in effect, petitions for additional substantial rent increases have been submitted, indicating continued upward pressure on rents.

I. The city is committed to providing for the development of the city's fair share of decent, safe and sanitary housing affordable to all economic segments of the community.

J. Mobile home parks are a valuable resource of affordable housing for low and moderate income individuals and families.

K. Based on the city's 1988 rental survey, the overall city apartment vacancy rate is 2.24 percent. The vacancy rate in subsidized and lower-end nonsubsidized complexes is zero percent with a waiting list of up to 2.5 years. These results indicate a shortage of affordable housing for low and moderate income individuals and families.

L. To remedy the continued upward pressure on rents and shortage of affordable housing, the council desires to encourage the development of a variety of types of housing units affordable to all economic segments of the community, especially mobile home lots affordable to low and moderate income individuals and families.

M. While rent control protects mobile home park residents from excessive and exploitive rent increases, it also discourages the development of new mobile home parks and the expansion of existing parks, thereby exacerbating the shortage of affordable housing. In addition, rent control may encourage mobile home park owners to convert existing parks to other uses and discourage adequate maintenance and services in existing parks.

N. Permanent mobile home rent control has proven to be a costly administrative burden and an inefficient city response to the affordable housing shortage.

O. Continued protection for the current residents of mobile home parks from excessive and exploitive rent increase is necessary for and consistent with the promotion of the public health, safety and welfare.

(Ord. 594 § 2 (part), 1988).

A. The purpose of this chapter is to protect current residents of mobile home parks from excessive, unreasonable or exploitive rent increases by continuing rent control protection until a voluntary vacancy occurs; to give adequate notice to future residents of the economic risks of locating in a mobile home park and the absence of rent control; to promote the development of new mobile home parks and the expansion of existing mobile home parks as a source of housing affordable to low and moderate income individuals and families; to permit mobile home park owners to receive a fair and reasonable return; to establish an efficient and speedy process to review rent increases; and to provide for an alternative dispute resolution process.

B. To achieve the above purpose and to further the interests of justice, the provisions of this chapter shall be liberally construed.

C. No provision of this chapter shall be construed or applied to prohibit the grant of a rent increase that is demonstrated to be necessary to provide a landlord with a fair and reasonable return as provided by law.

(Ord. 594 § 2 (part), 1988).