Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Committee stops anti-rent control bill

AB 761 (Calderon) would have been devastating to mobilehome residents who are protected by rent control. Mobilehome owners are both owners and renters: they own their homes, but rent the land underneath from park owners. AB 761 was the latest in a series of attacks on rent control by greedy park owners and their allies in state government.

Last year, AB 761 narrowly failed, and the bill was back in this second year of this 2-year legislative session. Fortunately, Judiciary Committee members Senators Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) and Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) stood firm against powerful park owners that seek to take rent protections away from residents.

This is a major victory for mobilehome residents, especially the many seniors living on fixed incomes in mobilehome parks.

Congratulations to the Golden State Manufactured-home Owners' League (GSMOL). GSMOL closely monitored the legislation, mobilized residents against this unfair attack on rent control, and successfully lobbied to defeat it. Score one for the good guys.

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