Mobile home residents voice concerns at town hall meeting
Residents from mobile home parks met with park owner Harmony Communities on Monday night to discuss rent increases. Supervisors are considering rent stabilization to address the issue.
“I feel defeated, very defeated, very discouraged,” said Crystal Baker, a mobile home owner and resident of Bixby Knolls Mobile Home Park. “Do I really start from scratch and have to build again?”
Mobile home residents, including those from Bixby Knolls and Riverland Mobile Home Park, attended a community conversation at the Frontier Senior Center in Anderson Monday night. The meeting was coordinated by Shasta County Supervisor Allen Long and Supervisor Chris Kelstrom who invited Matt Davies, the CEO of Harmony Communities which owns the parks.
Although approximately a dozen non-English speaking residents of two Anderson-based mobile home parks were present, no translator was provided, but one bilingual resident tried to take up the role in an unofficial capacity.
Residents at the two mobile home parks, who own their mobile homes but lease the land it rests on, say they are facing their second rent increases in the year since Harmony bought the park. The first rent increase changed their payments from $575 a month to $625. A second increase that will raise rent to $985 a month is scheduled to become effective on December 1.
In conversations with Shasta Scout reporters over recent weeks, residents have noted that Harmony has offered a $300 credit per month to offset the latest planned increase. But they also voiced confusion about the credit and uncertainty about whether Harmony would follow through and for how long. Given the rent raise, without those credits, some have said during recent county board meetings, they face the potential of becoming homeless.
“With all due respect, we’re just not in the business of [crossing] our fingers and taking words for it,” said one resident at the meeting this week.
Supervisor Long explained during the meeting that he called for the convening after residents from the two mobile home parks raised attention by speaking out at county board meetings over recent weeks. They’ve also created a petition for a rent stabilization ordinance. Crystal Baker, author of the petition, has gathered 31 signatures from those living at the approximately 50 units at Bixby Knolls so far.
Together their actions have led to public discussions among supervisors about the possibility of implementing a countywide rent stabilization policy for mobile home parks.
The possibility of such a policy seems to have spurred Harmony to action. During the meeting this week, residents were given contracts to codify the promised $300 credits. The updated contract would ostensibly make the credits permanent for the remainder of the current residents’ tenancy. Harmony’s CEO noted that the credit process will not be transferable to a “buyer, heir or new resident.”
“I want to first step up and apologize to everyone for any miscommunication so far about the $300 rent credit,” Harmony CEO Davies said. “At its core, we don’t ever plan to take that rent credit away. We plan to leave [the credit] in perpetuity, forever, for your tenancy.”
The company, which owns and operates mobile home parks statewide, is currently facing several active lawsuits, along with others that have been settled. The lawsuits regard unfair business practices, rent hikes and illegal evictions.
Davies told residents yesterday that rent for lots at the mobile home park was increased as a defense mechanism against laws such as AB 978, which limits rent increases to 3% per year over the local Consumer Price Index. Given these restrictions, Davies indicated, sudden increases in insurance or inflation would place mobile home park management at risk without the ability to raise rent quickly to cover those costs.
In those cases, Davies indicated, the credits can act as a buffer, with management having the ability to reduce the amount of credit offered per month over time in order to address rising costs. It’s essentially a loophole to allow for rent increases that would otherwise exceed legal limits. The practice, Davies indicated, could prevent closure of the mobile home park.
“Over the last 40 years, 1/3 of the mobile home parks in Los Angeles County have closed down,” he claimed. There hasn’t been a new mobile home park built in the state in the last 25 years. So you’ve got to ask yourself, ‘what’s going on for all of these properties to keep closing?’”
Madeline Howard, the housing director for the Western Center on Law and Poverty told a reporter by phone today that she would advise residents to have an attorney review the contract before signing.
While some local jurisdictions have protections, Howard added, mobile home rent control is not comprehensive across California, which leaves mobile home owners in a tenuous place when rent for lots in the parks increase to amounts they’re unable to pay.
“Despite the name, mobile homes are usually not mobile at all,” Howard said. “So, if the [mobile home owner] is evicted from the park, they lose the home that they own.”
It wasn’t clear during the meeting whether residents would be signing the updated contracts. As the meeting closed, Long reminded residents that the town hall was called as a step in the process towards further conversations about a rent stabilization ordinance for mobile home parks.
During next week’s board meeting, Long said, supervisors are slated to hear a presentation from Tehama County Supervisor Greg Jones about a similar ordinance that is currently being crafted in his county.
Are you a resident of mobile home parks in Shasta affected by rent increases? Our reporter would love to speak with you. You can email editor@shastascout.org or send a text to 530-276-8778.
Have a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org
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Elderly veterans and familys becoming homeless.
This is what making America great again looks like. Project 2025, PNAC et.al. supported by the racist truck-nut voters and MFL wives who just need someone to hate to feel good about themselves. Then they try to “blame it on the libs”
And I’m not bethel.
To further elaborate my other comment: I think it’s an okay thing to bear arms to defend family and friends.
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I think it’s an okay thing to defend family and friends and protect your home borders, however, whatever Trump is doing is not that.
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I don’t think we should waste money on unnecessary expenses, however, some of you don’t realize that spending money in one area sometimes saves money in other areas.
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The golden rule is do unto others as you would have them do unto you. How many of you are actually doing that?
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The reason that you see me argue on here in the comments is because it is to protect people, not rules and objectives and ideals.
As a fiscal conservative, I have to tell some of you that it’s okay to admit that Trump is doing a horrible job.
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He is.
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If the rest of you are not going to stand up for morality, then I guess I’m no longer a fiscal conservative. Not sure what to call myself because I believe in values and morality, and that humans actually matter more than money…
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According to the Bible, I thought those were the conservative values…
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Some of you that are so eager to be on a team, got to tell you the cold hard truth that God isn’t on a team.
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Meh…
Trump has never been a fiscal conservative. He ran on how much he loves debt:
“I am the king of debt. I love debt. I love playing with it.”
-Donald Trump 2016
For once you and I agree.
3 Highest Gas Prices
1. California: $6.08 per gallon
2. Hawaii: $5.64 per gallon
3. Washington: $5.34 per gallon
3 Lowest Gas Prices
1. North Carolina: $3.55 per gallon
2. Georgia: $3.70 per gallon
3. Texas: $3.76 per gallon
Thank you Gavin Newsome and Democrats!
Cherry picking your data, eh?
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Instead of looking at just six states, why don’t we look at all 50 states and all the territories of the US, hmmm?
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Gas prices, food prices, and inflation have gone up in absolutely EVERY SINGLE ONE.
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Have a nice day!
California statistics:
• Housing: This is the largest single household expense. The statewide median home sale price sits at $775,550, with gross rent averaging $2,104 to $2,619 per month (nearly double the national average). Major metro areas like San Jose and San Francisco push home values and rent far higher.
• Energy and Utilities: Utility costs run roughly 60% higher than the national average, driven by surging electricity rates, wildfire mitigation requirements, and high water bills. Monthly utility costs average around $426.
• Transportation & Gas: California features the highest gas pump prices and state gas taxes/fees in the United States, frequently topping $6.00 per gallon in major markets like the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Groceries and Food: Grocery spending ranks among the highest in the nation, running about 10% to 11% higher than the national average due to labor, supply chain, and energy costs. Fast food prices also average about 20% above the U.S. average.
• Healthcare & Taxes: Annual healthcare averages over $11,000 per person, and the state carries the nation’s highest marginal state income tax rate at 13.3%.
Of course I’m just cherry picking. Thank you Gavin Newsome and Democrats.
Yeah, you are cherry picking.
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While you select a single state to try and focus on, our ENTIRE country ain’t doing so great at the moment.
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Excellent reporting!
I want to extend my thanks to you and your news team for your excellent coverage regarding the suffering of mobile home owners in our community.
I have had the pleasure of working with
Crystal on this very important issue.
My neighbor and I started the campaign in Redding over a year ago.
I am very proud of Crystal for her bravery in taking on this task. You go girl!
I believe that Harmony is one of the predatory companies doing this around the country that John Oliver covered a few years ago and PBS also I think and I have been dreading that this would happen here. Harmony Communities is neither Harmonious nor community building. They raised lot rents 300% in Petaluma and have a long sordid messy trail left behind them in the local courthouses where they have been. It’s obscene that their business model of using the price hikes and other means as the constructive eviction of “undesirables” in a park to increase profits, it destroys actual communities of decades and leaves a path of heartache, financial ruin and far too often homelessness for their targets. Why were they even allowed here? Mobile home parks have long been a low cost option to buying a home and having that financial security on a budget. These vultures and others have been swooping in around the country/world scavenging from the vulnerable like the 0001% Epstein Class, BlackRockesque hedge funds buying family farms and homes/apartment buildings EVERYWHERE just to hold on to and profit mightily for their “investors” from the trauma of the “rest of us”.
The CEO is trying to figure out how to cover costs of owning and managing these trailer parks. It’s a crime to not pay taxes or make payroll, so as we “vote” for high taxes, wages, energy and insurance costs, we are also voting for higher rents. All said, don’t blame this on “greedy landlords”. Put the blame where it belongs .. on the myriad of state policies and regulations that are creating this mess.
No, let’s blame it on the greedy landlord.
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This isn’t just some local mom and pop landlord. This is a corporation that is focused on maximizing profits, no matter what the cost may be.
Mom and Pop mobile home parks are getting it just as bad as corporate parks. The past 25 years living and working maintenance at mobile home parks I can tell you. State policies and laws are the direct reason for rent increases. Someone earlier and comments said something about Trump I don’t know why they’d say something about Trump so far from California. This is state business. We have an insurance commissioner on the take. And we have legislators looking for every tax dollar they can get. Nothing to do with Trump. This is State of California.
Perhaps he overpaid for the park and is now trying to make it pencil out on the backs of those renting spaces? Being familiar with all the mobile parks, including amenities or lack thereof, the space rent of nearly $1000/month is way out of line.
Back of the envelope calculation for Bixby Knolls:
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They need $230,000/year to get 10% on their $2.3 million, a modest 2.5% risk premium compared to sitting on their asses with their money in the S&P500.
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~$190,000 for 3 full-time employees making ~$45k/year nominal
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~$75,000 for trash
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~$25,000/year for property taxes
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~$20,000/year insurance
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~$15,000/year water
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~$10,000/year electricity
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$565,000year
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That’s ~$925/space/month not counting vacancy allowance or supplies to maintain common areas.
In other words, they overpaid for property and based rents on desired ROI ignoring fair market rents relative to other MHP’s.
Nah, let’s do blame it on greedy landlords. If the raised rent fits…
Thank you Supervisors Long and Kelstrom for initiating this discussion. As a volunteer at a food bank in Anderson, I have talked to more than a few mobile home park residents who are very concerned about the upcoming rent increase and how they will be impacted.
Gotta wonder what percentage of these residents regularly vote for the party of free enterprise über alles, and screw the poor. Hey old MAGAs, hope Trump’s mainstreaming of your bigotry is worth the increased prices of rent, gas, and food.
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The CEO’s explanation for the $300 credit—that it will erode over time to cover increased costs—pretty much guarantees that it will erode. That’s the whole point. It’s literally a way to skirt AB 978.
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Speaking of which, the math isn’t mathing. An increase from $625 to $985 is a 57.6% increase. Even with the $300 credit, it’s a 9.6% increase. The law allows for a 3% rent hike plus cost-of-living (currently 2.5%), for a 5.5% total. Harmony seems to be out of compliance with the law no matter how you slice it.
Where is the free enterprise with mobile home parks in California?
If California regulations weren’t so corrupt, owners could more easily move their “mobile” homes and capitalists could actually build new trailer parks –in less sensitive areas– creating competition for space rents. Instead we’re basically in the regulated monopoly days of taxi medallions with folks stuck paying yellow cab rates for worse service than lyft/uber…
You conflated my statement regarding what MAGAs are voting for with my own understanding of regulatory reality. They aren’t the same, especially in California. The deregulation that Trump has provided mostly benefits billionaires and corporations, not poor and elderly MAGAs who are shy on housing.
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Corrupt, though? That’s a pretty loose use of the word, unless you’re talking about your capitalists buying off local officials. That does happen.
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There are several ballot initiatives this year written toward the goal of loosening regulations on housing development. Direct democracy will decide what the citizens of California want. Californians have traditionally resisted “anything goes” planning, but the housing crisis is severe enough that the tide might turn.
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I’m surprised that your capitalists haven’t proposed turning storage unit parks into housing facilities. You’d need to add a common bathhouse and a common cooking facility. I’ll bet you could rent them to the state for four or five times what they bring in as storage units.
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That, or Tyson proposing the Soylent Green solution.
Yes, corrupt. These laws protect those already in power by preventing people from having viable options…
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Shasta County could simply allow permanent RV (e.g. “tiny home”) living so even the lowest-earning full time worker could afford to own the roof over the head and the land beneath their feet. But noooo, we gotta protect the patently unsustainable feudal landlord aesthetic of “forever” homes replete with non-functional architectural elements and surrounded by unproductive, non-native grasses – a giant FU to the environment and those living on the margins just to prove you’ve socially “made it” as a human being.
The title “Land Lord” is offensive but all “forever” home ownership as an FU to the environment and those living on the margins? C’mon Mahmoud, homeowners exist who are conscientious about their home’s environmental footprint; vilifying them all in one fell swoop is lazy and you’re typically not lazy. Personally, I’d love to see many more tiny homes to put roofs over people’s heads.
By “forever” home I don’t mean a home you’ll stay in your entire life – I mean all half-empty McMansions wasting water & energy that will forever blight the earth like rotting feudal castles.
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Zoning rules that enforce this feudal aesthetic are designed to protect those who have already “made it.” It stems from the silly western-colonial paradigm where “great civilizations” (and people) are only those who permanently leave their marks on the world.
I think we should have government(We The People) owned trailer courts that would automatically get paid from the government checks going to the residents.
Why????
Many cities in California have city-owned or nonprofit-owned tiny house or trailer park properties established for the unhoused. The closest Redding has to that is 8 units on South Market dedicated as transitional housing (up to one year).
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You can probably guess the politics of the cities that have the most helpful programs. Here in Shastanistan, a “don’t feed the bears” mentality prevails.
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I do admire The McConnell Foundation for purchasing the trailer park along the river at the entrance to the arboretum and deciding against eliminating it in favor of open space or some use more in keeping with the adjacent fancy office complex.
“With all due respect, we’re just not in the business of [crossing] our fingers and taking words for it,”
You bought a home you couldn’t move on land you didn’t own without a long term lease…