Mobile home park owner agrees to delay rent increase in response to county concerns 

Only a few mobile home residents attended yesterday’s Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting, where Supervisor Allen Long made an impromptu announcement related to a rent increase by mobile home parks owner Harmony Communities.  

Long made the announcement during his board report, saying he and Supervisor Chris Kelstrom had come to an agreement with Harmony not to raise rent until at least March 2027. The delay is intended to give the county time to seek an alternative to the residents’ push for an ordinance restricting rent increases in mobile home parks. 

Homeowners from Riverland Mobile Home Ranch, Bixby Knolls and Cottonwood Ridge Mobile Home Parks said they were facing their second rent increase this year since Harmony bought their parks — Harmony planned to raise their rent from $625 to $985 on Dec. 1. 

Harmony emphasized that the rent increase came with a $300 credit, but residents voiced concerns about the uncertainty of continuing to receive that credit along with the lack of any ongoing protection to keep mobile housing affordable long term. Mobile home owners are particularly vulnerable to rent increases due to a gap in state law AB 1482 that provides regulation around rent increases for homes and apartments.

Residents who spoke to Shasta Scout after the meeting yesterday said they weren’t included in the discussion process that resulted in the rent delay, despite a promise from Long that they would be involved during the last public meeting. They said they want supervisors to focus on creating changes to local law, not mediating.

How it started. How it’s going 

Residents began their advocacy through a petition for rent stabilization started by Bixby Knolls resident Crystal Baker in September after having received a notice on n Aug. 31 about the rent increase and credit. Baker wrote and passed out the petition to her fellow park residents in English on Sept. 6 and drafted a Spanish version a few days later, she told a reporter. 

Baker brought the issue before the Anderson City Council during public comment at the Oct. 6 meeting and to the Board of Supervisors’ agenda on Oct. 28 when she was one of at least a dozen mobile home owners speaking out. 

Kelstrom and Long responded by inviting Tehama County Supervisor Greg Jones to present a few weeks ago on a draft rent stabilization ordinance that’s soon to be implemented in Tehama. Something similar could be passed in Shasta, though Kelstrom and Long hope to avoid the need to pass an ordinance by negotiating with Harmony’s owner. 

During a divided discussion among the board after Jones’ presentation, Supervisor Kevin Crye advocated for more immediate action, calling on Long to give residents an answer in 30 days. Instead, they agreed to continue discussion with Harmony in hopes of avoiding the need for a new ordinance.

Since then, Long has negotiated with Harmony in hopes of heading off the need for an ordinance, resulting in the stay until March. 

That’s something Harmony CEO Matt Davies, whose company has faced pushback in the form of lawsuits across the state, is also hoping for.

“We continue to work with county supervisors and residents to ensure affordable rents and a viable long-term path forward for the parks, so they can continue serving residents for generations to come,” Davies said today by email. 

Bixby Knolls resident Baker said she found out about the hold on the rent increase only a few days ago. During yesterday’s meeting, she expressed frustration that residents did not have a seat at the table for that conversation. 

“Why were us mobile home owners or our representatives not involved or included with this agreement?” Baker asked. “How can an agreement affecting our homes and futures be negotiated without our participation? And more importantly, what happens on day 91?”

Another homeowner expressed that she felt Harmony and the supervisors are misunderstanding what the residents are asking for, which was to address the issue by passing a law to cap rent increases in mobile home parks. 

“We didn’t ask them to be a liaison between us and the company,” she said in a conversation with a reporter after the meeting, asking that she not be named out of fear of retaliation. “We didn’t ask them to represent us in any way. What we’re asking for is for them to recognize the vulnerability that we have [as mobile home owners].”

Long acknowledged that the initial agreement for a delayed timeline was reached without including residents. He said the next step is for resident representatives to have an in-depth discussion with Harmony about the terms that were originally set. 

“This initial conversation was somewhat of a priority discussion, and it was simply to get Harmony to agree to not,” Long explained. “Then residents will be part of this discussion, of course, going forward, because it’s important that their voices be heard as well.”

Kelstrom agreed, saying he hopes to use the 90-day pause to build trust between residents and Harmony to avoid the need for a new law. 

“I prefer not to have to pass a rent ordinance, but the people have to feel protected and have to feel comfortable,” Kelstrom said. “That’s the goal now for these months or two, is to try to get [the residents] to feel comfortable that Harmony is … not going to be jacking up the rent.” 

Josh Divine, an attorney with Pugh, Van Voris and Divine, is representing  the homeowners pro bono. He sent a letter to the board on Nov. 4, advocating for the delay in rent increase. Speaking to a reporter today, he emphasized that the supervisors’ role should be to consider a permanent legislative action to address the residents’ needs, not to act as a liaison between them and Harmony. 

“Ultimately, we don’t want the board just to resolve the dispute with Harmony,” Divine said. “We want the board to look into rent stabilization so that this kind of stuff doesn’t happen again.”

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