Affordable Housing, Rent Control and Measure V’s Battle Lines

  LAKELAND, FL - 10/14/2016 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

“As the moms and pops that built our mobile home parks age out, predatory, out-of-town corporate investors have been taking over.” 

– Measure V proponents

“Once rent control is adopted, politicians will – by the tenants’ votes – be giving the landlord’s property to the tenants. It happens all the time.” 

– Sam Landy, CEO UMH Properties, not directly impacted by Measure V

These quotes are two of the many published perspectives over controversial Measure V - a Humboldt County, California ballot measure – which is on the front lines of the affordable housing conflicts in the Golden State.

Measure V proposes significant changes to the relationship between manufactured home community owners and their residents.

California’s affordable housing crisis is being lamented by industry professionals, who say that community owners are being unfairly scapegoated.  They say it is local officials who are failing to take legitimate steps to address the root causes of the issue.

Indeed, the paucity of new manufactured home communities being developed is caused by short-sighted policies over the years, which has now resulted in a full grown crisis.

Nuanced Insights on Rent Control

“I think rent control is a symptom of a larger problem.  To my eye, these stories are always about both sides doubling down politically and legally,” said Paul Bradley, president of ROCUSA, the leading national provider of programs that assist the conversion of investor-owned properties into resident ownership of communities.

“I approach things with a win/win mindset, and from what I’ve seen; courts and boards seem to satisfy neither party in most cases,” Bradley told MHProNews.com.

“Most Park owners offer long-term leases that address and stabilize any legitimate concern about rent increases,” attorney C. William Dahlin said.

Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association (WMA) executive director Sheila Dey has pointed out what her organization says are obvious oversights in the Measure V proposal.  

Dey reminds Californians that millionaires - living in 6 figure and posh 7 figure manufactured homes - are among those living rent controlled locations, such as one in Malibu overlooking famous Zuma Beach.

Dey says that rent control ordinances don’t require means-testing. As a consequence, community owners are subsidizing the housing costs of residents, even if there is no need for such financial support.

Manufactured Homes - The Affordable Housing Solution – Going Mainstream

As MHLivingNews.com recently reported, Bloomberg, HousingWire, Realtor and Fox News are among the major media outlets that have touted the wisdom for America turning to manufactured housing as a common-sense solution to the growing affordable housing crisis.

Or as Harold Hunt, PhD - with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University says - modern manufactured homes “are not your grandfather’s trailer houses.”

A solid overview to the many-faceted facts and perspectives about the urgent issues wrapped up in this ballot initiative are found on MHProNews in the report, Measure V – Battle Lines Drawn.

(Photo Caption – Collage includes a fish-eye camera-lens view of a manufactured home interior. Logos for the various organization belong to each firm and are shown under fair use guidelines.)

MHLivingNews.com and MHProNews.com are the leading trade publications for consumers, manufactured homeowners, MH industry leaders, investors and public policy professionals who want up-to-date lifestyle and business news.