Speaker 0: Council member Austin motion carries.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Item 25, please. Actually, item 24, please.
Speaker 0: Item 24 is a communication from Councilwoman Pries Vice Mayor Andrews. Councilman Austin recommendation to request an ordinance establishing rental increase protections for mobile home owners by adding mobile home parks to our content and protection ordinance.
Speaker 1: Think you have to turn this over first to Councilman Price.
Speaker 5: Yes. And I'm just going to speak briefly before turning it over to the public. I know there are a lot of people here who want to talk on this item. This item has actually changed since we filed it as a supplemental on Friday. And I want to thank our city attorney, Rich Anthony, our deputy city attorney, Rich Anthony, who's here who's been helping us. I think together we have learned more about mobile home law in the last three or four days than we ever thought we would. And we did have an opportunity yesterday afternoon to speak with an attorney representing the residents. And so I think that the I want to hear from the residents, but the item tonight is to be going to be giving the city attorney some the city manager some guidance to work with the city attorney to bring back some options for us at at a future time in November. And I'll share with after everyone finishes talking, I'll share with them where that's coming from in terms of my conversations with their attorney and what I think our timeline that we're working with is. Before the residents speak, I do want to share a few things. Many of you spoke last Tuesday night. I had already talked with your property owners before then. I talked with them on Wednesday morning. I asked them respectfully to go back to the drawing board and come back with a proposal that was more in line with where the city of Long Beach has headed in terms of rent increases. They have assured me throughout the week that they are going to do that. I expect that in the next couple of days you will be contacted with a revised proposal. I don't know what that proposal is going to be, but that's one of the reasons we're not able to really take any action tonight, because we don't know exactly what we're working with in terms of the proposals. And also, one of the other things I want to share is that this is not the mobile only mobile home park in the city of Long Beach. This one is in my district. So anything that I do that affects the policy in my district would affect the policy in every district. So it's very important for us to have the opportunity to be able to conduct some research and find out how many mobile home parks are we dealing with, how many residents are are we dealing with? And to give my colleagues the respect, to be able to reach out to the tenants in their districts as well as the property owners in their districts. So that's one of the reasons for the timeline tonight, which we shared with your attorneys when we spoke with them yesterday. But with that, if Mr. Vice Mayor, is it okay if we go to public comment?
Speaker 4: Yes. You know, since it's over ten people, I'd like to have these individuals come in as time as we are. Karen, Angela, Teresa, Tom Lockhart, Daniel Witt and Wayne Su and Larry Goode. Who in that order, please. You have 90 seconds. You have to. Many individuals.
Speaker 9: Good evening, Vice Mayor and council members. I stand before you with some of my neighbors and I'd like to have them all stand. I got to talk fast through those that couldn't be here. Wrote letters to Councilman Price, the mayor and chief of staff. And I'm sure that Mayor Garcia and Councilman Price, you've received several emails from US senior citizens in regards to our personal stories. Today we're here in unity, making a plea that you, the entire city council, collaborate. Kind of like basically what you just said with the 600 senior citizens in our particular mobile home park. But to place an interim moratorium on the space rent as soon as possible. And that is rent. Space rent for mobile homes. Only you. The city council can help us stop this tremendous burden of $355 a month increase. Which are aware of what equates to a 35% plus space rent. Newport Pacific. Our park management company can raise our rent again in 90 days if they so choose. So I please ask you and Time Investments to sign this interim moratorium and to help us senior senior citizens at the mobile home park. Thank you.
Speaker 4: Thank you very much. Next.
Speaker 9: May I present the letters to you?
Speaker 4: Seven.
Speaker 3: Hello City council.
Speaker 9: And.
Speaker 4: Particularly you guys would like to you can state your name when you walk, just maybe.
Speaker 3: I don't know. My name is.
Speaker 5: Wynn Sulk and we were able.
Speaker 9: To talk.
Speaker 7: Directly to Susie Price.
Speaker 5: Our councilwoman, after the last meeting, and we were able to clarify the fact that the rent credit that we've been offered in order to ease the burden of the 35% increase is actually contingent upon us releasing Newport Pacific from any kind of liability, which unfortunately is puts us between a rock and a hard place because of the fact that the construction is still ongoing and there are many, many repairs still to be done. There are punch list items for every resident in the park that have yet to be completed. So we still face the November 15th deadline to sign this our rights away. In exchange for this credit, I do want to thank Susie for expediting the teleconference with our attorney that I hired on behalf of Belmont Shores. And I also want to invite you to come to our community and see the charm of each individual home, which is actually what gives our mobile home park its value. It is not the pipes under the street that has increased the value of our park. It is the beautification of each resident, then the investment they've made in the home that makes it an appealing place for others to come and live in.
Speaker 7: Thank you very much.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much. Next speaker.
Speaker 4: Please. Tom Lockhart. With the emergence of very.
Speaker 10: Large real estate corporations in the California mobile home park market, there are too many cases of exorbitant increases in space rents paid by mobile home owners. This has also had the insidious effect of creating an artificially high so-called market rate for mobile home park space rents. Other companies, such as our Belmont Shores management company Newport Pacific, then use these exorbitant so-called market rate values to claim that a park is below market rate and therefore the rent needs to be raised. A comparable letter comparable levels as owners of older homes in our park abandoned them due to obscene rent raises, thereby losing the title and the equity in the home. Newport Pacific will replace them with brand new homes and sell those at a significant profit. Thus our mobile home park will be effectively gentrified and available only to upscale residents. Also, mobile home owners who do not sign a lease.
Speaker 4: Often are charged higher.
Speaker 10: Rent raises than homeowners who are under lease, which often forces the non leaseholders to sign a lease and therefore forever lose any chance of rent control. Nobody should be a pawn at the mercy of the merchants of greed in his or her own home. Without rent stabilization. Belmont Shores Mobile Estates residents are in an untenable situation. And if you want to enact.
Speaker 4: A very, very good rent.
Speaker 10: Stabilization ordinance, just get a copy of the City of Marina ordinance. Scratch out Marina and pencil in Long Beach.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 4: Hmm. Good evening. My name is Don Wittes.
Speaker 6: I arrived in.
Speaker 4: Long Beach in 1948. I was seven years old on my way home.
Speaker 6: Following last Tuesday's sensitive city council meeting. I stopped for a red light at.
Speaker 4: Seventh and cherry. As I waited, I realized for I was participating in the purest form of democracy. Let me explain. Traffic lights do not discriminate. First come. First serve. Equal.
Speaker 6: Everyone is equal. Democracy at its finest.
Speaker 4: Everything. Every time you stop at a red light, you respect the law and your fellow Americans. If we all respect the law, good chance we will all get home tonight. This is the California Driver's Handbook.
Speaker 6: It is well-written, with good intentions. This is the.
Speaker 4: Law of the people. This is the notice Newport Pacific gave us. It is poorly written with questionable intentions. This is a law of the corporation. This is the law, a loophole. This is a law. A shocking. This is a law. Take it or leave it.
Speaker 6: This is the law of gotcha. Finally, I want to make a promise to you. I will always stop for the red light.
Speaker 4: Because I want you to get home to thank you. Next. And please. Sorry.
Speaker 3: Oh.
Speaker 8: Good evening, mayor and city council members. My name is Mary Jo. British. I'm its own vice president. Golden State manufacturers, homeowners like G at the mall for Los Angeles, Orange County and San Bernardino Counties. As one of the representatives for the Long Beach Mobile home homeowners, I implore you to, following your decision this evening, that on behalf of the primary elderly and other low income citizens to seriously consider voting a separate moratorium ordinance for mobile home space rent stabilization at 3% maximum increase each month in. And then this would be while the final arrest or rent stabilization ordinance has been completed, the fraudulent burn rubble sit in elderly, veterans, disabled, other low income mobile home , homeless and a fear of Long Beach are being threatened with urban economic eviction through outlandish rent increases, causing the loss of their homes and everything they have saved and paid for all their lives. Many still have mortgages. They need your compassion and protection. You. We would like to work with you to address this serious situation. The Interim Moratorium Ordinance on mobile home rent increases. One of the options that it's worked successfully throughout the state of California, where the final answer was placed the occurred in 110 cities and counties that have this L.A. County Board of Supervisors instituted it and turned into a moratorium ordinance in November 2018 at 3% max rent increases, and it's been extended until the end of the year whether final ordinance is going to be in place.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much. Thank you. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 4: Larry, good. You I would extend this to every every rental property, whether it be mobile permitted just built. Extend it across the board, not just to those that are listed here. Thank you.
Speaker 1: Thank you. On the next next set of speakers, we have Philip write a Candace Holcomb, Lewis rib, Mike Murchison and Mary Jo Bacik. And I'm sorry if I mispronounce them names. I try to get the spellings on here. Philip Right. Candace Holcomb. Lewis Really? Mike Murchison. Mary Jo Bacik. Those next speakers, please line up in that order and please begin.
Speaker 4: Good evening, Honorable City Council members. Mr. Mayor.
Speaker 10: I'm here to support the Interim Moratorium Ordinance for space race stabilization for Belmont Shore and Mobile Estates. Just want to pop a number out there that no one's said yet, and that's 35%. 35%. That's the increase that a lot of folks are being hit with. I'm a recent resident. My increase is 20%, but I came in at a higher tier. The park is limited to 55 year old and older residents. Many were on fixed incomes or of limited means. And just to note.
Speaker 4: For your consideration.
Speaker 10: If residents can't pay the rent and have to find alternative housing, they're not permitted to rent their facilities. These are homes that they own. So they couldn't subsidize their income by renting out their current their current home if they were displaced. As as as the name implies, mobile homes are not really as mobile as you might think. It's very expensive to move them. And finding another place to live is another consideration altogether. 35%. Really? I'm not so delusional to think that I wasn't expecting to see an increase after the owners did some improvements in investment for deferred maintenance and infrastructure. To meet city and other ordinances. But again, 35% and out of their minds. Well, maybe City Councilman Councilperson Price, I'd like to thank you very much for your prompt movement on this. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you for your support.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 4: Good evening. My name is Richard.
Speaker 10: Considering that.
Speaker 12: An elder living in a.
Speaker 4: Fixed income is half.
Speaker 12: Honorable person, I.
Speaker 4: Asked for this ordinance.
Speaker 12: We are a 55 plus community. Probably with the mobility in our property. None of our crews hook up the house to a pick up truck and say.
Speaker 4: Buy.
Speaker 10: To move any.
Speaker 12: Of the house it requires to be commercial truck and especially work that would cost almost the same price of the house. The company owner of this mobile home park knows that and is trying to force her to pay an abusive increase or have to sell the house for a price that because of circumstance, it would be clearly under the market. This is not a business between two equal power.
Speaker 4: That could negotiate. This is an attack on elderly.
Speaker 12: People that do not have any other resources that they.
Speaker 4: No pension and zero possibility of negotiation. This is not business, this elders. This is an aggression.
Speaker 12: On the tranquility and be that these people deserve in the last year of their lives.
Speaker 4: Please help us.
Speaker 12: That the right thing to do.
Speaker 4: Thank you.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much, sir. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 9: Good evening. My name is Candace Holcomb. I represent Newport Pacific, the Property Management Company. We've worked long and hard over the last several years and have put millions of dollars into the property to restore it. Prior operators did little. And we had to in order to keep the park open and continue and do over 28. And it's our now $30 million into repairs into this property. And this wasn't something that we took lightly. These are long term investors and they've been trying to get to this property. It was under a land lease whole. And with that, the prior two operators did not invest. They did not do what needed to be done. The ownership even worked to suit some of those prior operators to make things happen and it didn't get done. So now we are where we are today. We also offered a rent credit.
Speaker 3: In addition.
Speaker 9: In order to help bridge over. It doesn't mean three years from now that this is the total end result. The Rent credit also stated that it may be extended. It also said in there that it could be ended as well. And part of the ending of that is if we had a major catastrophe. I met with the president on October 12.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much.
Speaker 9: And then committed to meeting with them again.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much.
Speaker 3: Thank you.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Next speaker, please, Mr. Murchison.
Speaker 4: Good evening, Mayor and council members. I'll probably get the same boos, but I've had that before, so thank you, everyone.
Speaker 1: Let's go ahead and let Mr. Richardson speak.
Speaker 4: I do want to correct a few things, Councilwoman Price, to clarify, there's the ownership is committed to working with the tenants to try to come up with some more solutions. They are willing to improve their offer. They have committed on behalf of ownership to meet with the tenants in the next several days. You have my word on that. In addition to that, there'll be no rent increases, as the first speaker referenced about the potential for a rent increase. There'll be no rent increases in addition to over that first 90 days. That won't happen per the owners. Secondly, there was a mention of the November 15th date. The second speaker referenced that that November 15th date will be extended. So I will also clarify that. So I want to encourage you folks, the Council on the mayor, to do your due diligence, asked the city attorney and city staff to look at what other mobile home parks are in Long Beach, what the income levels are of the other mobile home parks in Long Beach. So that when you get this information back in 30 days, you can do your due diligence and make your decision then. I appreciate your time. And again, I want to remind everybody that we are willing to sit down the next several days with the tenants to see what we can come up with. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Mr. Richardson. Next group of speakers are Lilia Ocampo, Andrew Manuel, Manu HANO, Maribel Mireles, Maria Lopez and Vilma Aguilar. Please come forward. I see you just in that order.
Speaker 4: Please. Thank you. Can you repeat the Lilia Ocampo?
Speaker 1: Andrew. Maribel. Maria and Vilma.
Speaker 3: Good evening, Mayor. Council members. My name is Lola Campo, and I came here before you to support this item because as a renter, I have experience, increased rent and also a 60, 96, 30 and 60 days notice. And I know better the uncertainty of not knowing if you're going to find a new home for you and your family. And it's not it's not a good feeling. You'll feel like the world is falling on top of you. And that's why I understand situations that people listen and I strongly support them. Listen.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much. And here.
Speaker 6: Hello. My name is Andrew Medrano with the best hour central Long Beach, an initiative focusing on children aged 0 to 5. I would like to thank the Council for extending Rancho protections to other members of the city. It's important to note, however, that tenant relocation assistance is only a small part of the solution. Now that SB 1482 has passed, companies are taking advantage of vulnerable populations and evicting them as fast as they can. This is exactly what is happening with our leadership team member motivated Metellus and her entire building. Mayor, you wrote in an op ed and I quote, We will continue to utilize this collective of partners to meet the ever changing and most pressing needs of our youngest students and to help ensure that families have the tools they need to bring classroom learning into the home. I want to ask the council, can families bring this learning into the home when they are being displaced? No. According to the Long Beach Early Childhood Education Strategic Plan to ensure that every child can succeed, we must address the needs of the whole child, including physical health and stable housing. According to the Prevention Institute. Community trauma such as displacement increases risk factors that make adverse childhood experiences more likely to occur. In addition, displacement increases depression among parents affects children, academic performance, and so much more. If we all truly care about the whole child, then we need to take a strong look at the different issues intersecting and affecting their lives. Perhaps Long Beach should consider establishing a moratorium on evictions like L.A. so that these families aren't uprooted and these young children can lead healthy lives.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Next speaker, please.
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Speaker 1: Someone to the translation. Thank you very much.
Speaker 5: So good evening. My name is very well. I live in 540 61st Street in the ninth District. My building was just bought off by West Star Property Management and on Friday at 11 p.m. at night we were all handed 60 day notices. We are pushing for a moratorium on evictions. Council member Rex Richardson personally came to my apartment and saw my conditions of mold and roaches. And so I plead you to please push forth policies that protect tenants like the city of the city of L.A. and push for a moratorium to freeze evictions and rent increases to protect vulnerable tenants.
Speaker 1: You very much.
Speaker 4: Next speaker, please.
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Speaker 5: Good evening. My name is Vilma. I am a tenant and a resident in District nine. I support article or item number 24 because all tenants deserve to be protected. Inclusively, I.
Speaker 3: Want. I want protections.
Speaker 5: I want sensitive communities to have the right to be able to stay in their neighborhoods and fight for healthy homes. Recently, our building was sold. I live in 550 64th Street. For the past 12 years, the conditions when I first entered were all right.
Speaker 3: But from.
Speaker 5: Four years.
Speaker 3: Behind had not been very great.
Speaker 5: The building was sold and so were us as tenants. West Star bought our building and gave us 60 day notice to leave. I feel sad because of this notification. I want.
Speaker 3: A stop to.
Speaker 5: All evictions and separation of families.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much. A next next set of speakers, please. I am one.
Speaker 3: I'm Maria.
Speaker 1: Oh, Maria. Okay, go.
Speaker 4: Ahead. Yeah.
Speaker 5: Good evening. Councilmembers. My name is Maria. I am a resident and the first district. I am also the director of Community Organizing for Housing in Long Beach and the Long Beach Tenants Union. It's evident that tenants are suffering in our city and they need solutions. We've been talking about this. We talked about rent control. Last year wasn't the solution. We came up with tenant relocation assistance. Now we need stronger protections and evidently we need a moratorium on evictions and rent increases like the city of L.A.. Just just put placed into history today. We want development without displacement. Right. Tenant relocation assistance is only a means to mitigate displacement, but displacement is still happening. Right? We're not saying that we don't want honest repairs. We want honest repairs and development with the same neighbors. Right. We also want to push the messaging more to we know that in communities where they own their home, they are not displaced. So we want to.
Speaker 3: Push.
Speaker 5: To the view of community owned housing and allowing our communities to really strive and have access to healthy, dignified, accessible and affordable homes. Thank you for your time.
Speaker 1: Thank you.
Speaker 9: My name is. My name is Teri Quinlan. And Mary Jo already spoke, so I'm taking her place.
Speaker 1: And Mama just didn't call your call.
Speaker 9: You know, you called Mary Jo twice. Mary Jo Broderick from GSM, AOL. And she already spoke?
Speaker 1: Yes. What's your name?
Speaker 9: Terri Quinlan.
Speaker 1: I don't have any on the list. Just go ahead.
Speaker 9: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and members of the city council.
Speaker 3: I thank you, Susie Price, for paying special.
Speaker 9: Attention to us with regard to our mobile home issue. It must be obvious after hearing from some tenants.
Speaker 8: With regard to the current ordinance.
Speaker 9: That there are people who rent apartments. And then, of course, there are people who rent space in a mobile home park, mobile home not being mobile. And we as owners of these units that are in the park cannot move the unit out for a cost of maybe 20 to $40000 to do so. So we are a captive tenant on the property. And so there have been about 100 cities, cities and counties that already have implemented something called space rent stabilization. And we are hoping that the city will take on this as a new issue, a new moratorium that would save us from the proposed increase in our rent. I submitted a petition to all of the City Council members and Mr. Garcia with attachments that list the cities that are currently under this stabilization ordinance, and also a list of the all of the people in the city of Long Beach that are part of mobile home parks.
Speaker 8: There are 13.
Speaker 9: At present with about 2000 spaces in all of those homes. We are hoping that you will see the significance of mobile home owners as separate from the current ordinance and move forward accordingly with that. Thank you memorandum.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much. And our last speakers are Antonio Zavala with Salva Camacho, Jennifer Millan and Julie Paul, those folks here.
Speaker 3: Good evening. My name is Antonio Sabella and I live on Long Beach. They are a night district for.
Speaker 9: 20 years in. And I lived in the same building for 14 years. And then October eight, 17 years later, I filled in this hole and the new ordinance in West Westchester and the next eight October in 1863. Notice the Holy Things is coming making Sydney what I want to live in the now and then. The rain is American Greece. So I need to help everybody.
Speaker 3: To help do that. All the people. This is 16 families to say.
Speaker 9: Together to two to live. We're in the street. Thank you.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Rosalba Camacho.
Speaker 3: Or I went to the reservoir so you could enable to enter at street and with it. I will step over a vertical article of Quattro, but that is quoted I forget telecommuters and a company that saw you better for the zero set. That's up. But you can. I think that's more or less. I got an assistance here because the owner is and must put the heroes. I don't know I must get that and I would to use emu casino than your system most embedded on the this and I ran Carlos and Mr. Recourses either of them almost every line and it in quarantine is for think one you less conditioners not when we went on as companions. I wasn't for Calvin elderly I use Ghana. Where does that come from? Edificio. I like operations notification center. Yes, but I said this allows you some internal strength. I'm in a peacekeeping of either not so. I'm sorry. And then we'll skip the net. And I just felt that it was gas and the company that wasn't communicating it to I don't know what was best seen as good as. Yes.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Maria, do you want to translate some of our.
Speaker 3: Good evening. I am a resident and.
Speaker 5: Tenant in District nine. I am I am very glad to see the support.
Speaker 3: Of item number.
Speaker 5: 24 today being discussed because just like others in my community, I am affected by evictions and high rent increases. I support.
Speaker 3: That. The residents in mobile homes.
Speaker 5: For them to get relocation assistance and to be more protected. But I don't want it to stop there. Right now, me and my neighbors of years are in danger of being uprooted from our resources and those we love. I have lived on 540 East 64th.
Speaker 7: Street for the past five years.
Speaker 5: The conditions have not been the greatest. The companies abuse of us. And at the end they when.
Speaker 3: West are brought bought my.
Speaker 5: Building at a at a low cost gave us 60 day.
Speaker 7: Notices. I feel.
Speaker 5: Empty because Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming.
Speaker 3: And I don't know what to do. We need to have better. Laws that allow community to stay.
Speaker 7: In place and have the right to fight.
Speaker 3: For better housing with the same neighbors. Thank you.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much. Speaker, please.
Speaker 3: Good evening, councilmembers. My name is Jennifer Miron. I'm a student at ABC C. This is my mother, Carmen Garcia. Our family has lived at five 5064 Street for the past ten years. We are tenants in the ninth district. We support. I am 24 because we believe our tenants deserve some sort of relief. However, we will help you. We will hope you all work to achieve better communities with the same neighbors and our communities to stay in place and enjoy the new and the new memories coming to our neighbors neighborhoods. Recently, our building was sold. West Orange Is the New Landlord on Friday at 11 p.m.. Our neighbors were giving us extended notice, which we will eventually have to leave. This makes me feel sad because we are being taken out of our community, which we live for over ten years. This affects our lives and our kids and my parents because I see them as stressed and not knowing where we going to spend our holidays. I will. I would like to see. I would like for you to send me more in Council Member Rex Protection. But we invite you to come to our building and you to speak with.
Speaker 9: Our.
Speaker 3: With our neighbors.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much. And a last speaker is Jerry Park.
Speaker 9: Good evening, Mayor and members of the Council. I'm Julie Polley with the Western Manufactured Community Housing Association. We're a statewide trade association that represents mobile home park owners throughout California. And we're always opposed to mobile homes, rent control. And I want to thank you for taking the time to add this to the agenda and to give us the the the the the needed.
Speaker 7: Study on this.
Speaker 9: Issue. And I had a lot of concerns that Councilwoman Price has addressed in her comments before. So I want to thank you for the adjustment in approach to this, because our concern was that the best solution here is a private solution. In fact, many times these can be resolved between the park owner and the residents for an outcome that works for both. But when you start with the stated outcome of an ordinance that doesn't give that that process much to to grow. So I wanted to thank you. And if I could leave my card with the appropriate staff member so that we can be part of that process, so that the city can understand the impact this will have on all of the mobile home park owners and throughout the city. Thank you.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much. That concludes public comment. I'm going to go back to the dais. I want to start with Councilman Price and then we'll go through the members. And I want to do one. I'm going to make some comments as well, and I'll. But thank you all for speaking, Councilman Price.
Speaker 5: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And thank you to everyone who came out tonight to speak in favor of this item or related to this item. I know it's not easy to come to council meetings. Many of you have come for a second week. So I thank you for that. I will say that obviously any time we have vulnerable communities who are looking at being displaced, we need to act. And it's important for us to do that. I also agree with the last speaker, though, that we have to we have to give processes a chance. And so I've reached out to the property owners at the mobile home park and asked them to try to work on something. And I've shared with them my disappointment in what has happened. I hope that means something. Maybe it doesn't, but I'm asking the residents to please. Far out. A little bit of the tensions right now and give the new proposal. Well, I don't even know what it is. Some opportunity, because what the city can do and how the city can get involved in private interactions is always limited. And the best progress long term for you is going to be figuring out how to work privately with them to come up with a long term deal that works. It's just going to affect your day to day better. It's just going to be better, I think in the long run. That's just my opinion. We could agree to disagree on that. But what I'm sharing with you is that I have I've pleaded with them to come forward and give you something that is reasonable. I am hoping that they do that. And I'm asking you to give it. Honest and meaningful consideration. That's all I'm asking in regards to what we're going to do as a city. What I'd like to do is and I want to ask this, our acting city manager, if this is reasonable, is it reasonable for the city attorney and city manager to come back on November 19th? And that's that's less than 30 days. I get that and I apologize for that. But if we do need to take any sort of action before January 1st rent increases, I want us to be able to have some time to do that. So November 19th would be the target date for city to city staff to come back with some information for us, including how many mobile home parks are in the city, how many residents do we have that are impacted by space rent issues? What are our legal options? And the the people who spoke on behalf of the mobile home park residents? You're absolutely right. What I have learned in the last week, very different than regular tenant law. It's a whole body of law that people have developed an expertize in. And I know Mr. Anthony is working on that, but we need to know what our what our options are in terms of mobile home law, how that might align with existing rent stabilization ordinances, both locally and statewide. And what options do we have in terms of timing? Is that reasonable to come back on November 19th with some options for the city council?
Speaker 6: Yes. So you're correct. That's not a whole lot of time. But we realize the time sensitivity to this. And so at the council would like to direct that. We would do our very best to come back on the 19th with as much as we know and give you some options.
Speaker 4: Yeah. Oh, excuse me. Councilmember Price, as you know, since this popped up on the supplemental agenda and since the many of the same residents that spoke tonight spoke a week or two ago, we've been off and running. So we have a bit of a head start. I think we could get enough information to reasonably inform the council to take a decision with some options by the 19th. That should work.
Speaker 5: That would be great. And if we need. And just so everybody knows, we put this on the supplemental agenda, which means it went on the agenda Friday as as an item of urgency. So we don't do that very often. I think I've done that like twice in five years. So I want you to understand, you know, we're we're we're. No, no, no. Don't, don't. Please, don't. Don't stand up. Don't, don't, please, don't, don't, don't go. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Okay, so I just want you guys, please. I just this is my job. I'm doing my job. My colleagues are all doing their job. We all care about where you land, but we also want to understand everybody to understand we need some time to figure out what the policy is going to be, because whatever we do for Belmont Shore is going to apply citywide. And all of my colleagues here have mobile home parks in their districts. So they're going to need to educate themselves. They're going to need to talk to property owners. So, too, the property owners are management company representatives who are here. I to hope and pray that there is a private resolution that comes out of this. Either way, mobile home parks are going to be included in our tenant protection programs.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Councilman Nelson.
Speaker 2: Thank you very much. So, first of all, I'd like to just commend the residents for for organizing and sounding the alert and getting their city council office and bringing the issue to the entire city council so quickly. Obviously, we want to support and commend the council member for her quick action on this matter as well. When we first heard of the facts a week ago, I think we were all pretty taken aback by, you know, the claims of 30 plus percent, 35% rent increases, which is nobody can claim can weather that that's that's disruptive to anybody's lifestyle. And and again, we we have been as a city council dealing with the issues of renters protections with them in terms of, you know, multifamily housing. But mobile homes have been off of the reservation or I would say just out of the conversation for for the entire time. And so it just made sense with the actions of the city council recently, the last state legislative actions recently. It just makes sense to include mobile home residents in our city in those protections as well. I will certainly support that. I think it's only fair. Certainly been down this road with a few of our parks over the last few years and some of the outcomes have been, you know, I think favorable for for the park residents, a mobile home park residents in a district where, you know, friendly village. They they recently had a a class action lawsuit came together just like you all did. Fought back. And, you know, things are happening there. So that said, I just, again, want to commend Suzy Pryce, commend the residents for her, for organizing and understanding that the work that you have done certainly will of have an impact on our city as a whole. So thank you.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Vice Mayor Andrus.
Speaker 4: Yes. First of all, I want to thank Councilwoman Price for bringing this to our knees to the diocese. I'm even more excited, Mr. Wilks. I don't know what profession you're in, but after have to listen to your comments. I do know that I'm going to stop for any line. I'm going to follow the law, just like you said. I'm so excited. You know, sometimes you worry about when you get to be a certain age. I'm a senior citizen and I see now when we get tired of being tired, we come out and let you know how we feel about it. And I just want to let you individuals know tonight, you have spoke loud and clear. No one should have to be misplaced. When you talk about 35%, you don't even have to pay that much debt for a down payment on a home. And they're trying to tell you. The collapse is fine, but I'm afraid because being a senior since I want to move into, you know, I just and it doesn't look good for me. But I'm telling you, the way you guys are speaking tonight, I have hope. I still have hope. And I know what, Mrs. Price, when she gets on, when she gets on something, she won't stop again to you. Something will be done tonight. And I'm told her support and only the sad thing about it, the other individuals talk about rent control. These young individuals here they are look into and they're listening. If we keep going at this rate, we'll all be homeless. We're going to have to do something. We had to do it. Now, we cannot just keep putting Band-Aids on these situations. So I want to thank you so much, Mrs. Price, for coming out with this on the diocese. And all you individuals come out tonight and speak, especially we are seeing you. We we're in bed at this time. But I just want to thank you guys for coming out. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Councilman Richardson.
Speaker 10: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I want to take a minute and just acknowledge some of those residents from 540 and 550, 64th Street who received those 60 day notices. I'm aware of that, visited that site. I visited those apartments. I know what they look like. I've seen the conditions is deplorable. That's a slum. We need to be more. We need to have more tools to protect people from slumlords. I have to tell you, you know, if it if you know, what I'd love to see is for the city to be able to provide a resource to acquire property like that and make it covenant affordable housing because it's actually great positioning is right by Hampton Park. It's a great space. My vision for that space was the city to be to do affordable housing conversions and help stabilize that those two buildings and continue to provide affordable housing in those areas. But in order for that to happen, we're going to need a willing property owner. We're going to need a dedicated source of local revenue to make those things happen. There's a lot that a lot of schools we still don't have that we want to have in order to provide what we need, which is great affordable housing, that's quality that that provides dignity. So my commitment to use I'm going to continue to work on this. I'm going to meet with you, you all your group. And and we're going to see whatever, whatever resolution we can provide. I know that what we did most recently with our tenant protections law does add some additional support. But I know how shocking and jarring it could be to receive a 60 day notice. You know, I did not grow up a homeowner. I grew up a renter. You know, I attended 13 public schools across five states. I know what it's like to move to get to be housing and stable. So so I understand. And we'll be we're going to continue talking in terms of in terms of this motion, I think it makes sense. Councilwoman Price, you know, I wasn't here last week. I heard about it. Thank you for moving so quickly on this. I think I think it makes sense. I have a number of mobile home parks within my district, both Villa Park and over on Long Beach Boulevard. We have another Westland site. So I'm going to engage with those communities to get some input. I'm going to you know, I've had we've had conversations internally. I've had conversation with the mayor and others over the course of the last year or so about what's the appropriate approach to mobile homes, given there are a whole separate section of code, a whole separate section of state law that governs it and it doesn't mesh as easily in one ordinance. So I think we do need to take our time and figure out what the best approach is, and we need to conduct some outreach to stakeholders. And I think there is a there's no reason, you know, you've heard I've heard the stories. I've heard great job at public comment. 35% is is way too high for anyone. And we're hearing stories like this all over the place. So you have my support and I look forward to to what what comes of this. Thanks.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Councilmember Pearce.
Speaker 7: I thank you and thank you to everyone that came out so often. When we hear some of these stories about rent increases or people being evicted, it's really challenging for some of those communities to make it here. So I really appreciate you guys really being involved in making sure that all of us understand the urgency. Same thing my councilmember said 35% is absolutely insane. I've been a lifelong renter myself. Obviously, I have grandparents and they are on fixed incomes and understanding what would happen to my grandmother if she received a notice like this and she doesn't live near me. And so I can understand each of you have a personal story, in effect, that this would have the comment that an issue like this should be handled privately. I think that we have historically seen, and particularly in the state of California, that when it comes to housing or land use, it's never best to be left to the private sector to try to figure that out. We know that there's a dynamic in power that that is difficult. And so I hear you and I think my counsel calling for bringing this quickly, sometimes with issues that are this complex, we kind of we bring our hands over how to do it just the right way, and we just got to put it on the agenda. So I applaud that. I'd like to ask the city attorney, I know it's only been a couple of days, but just it was my understanding when we began the the reload conversation that mobile homes had to be left out. And I understand that maybe that's just because they're owned. You know, the building is owned by the person that habitat, but that the land is not. But can you tell us could something like including this in a reload policy be done like from your cursory look, I know that you're coming back with research.
Speaker 4: But I think it could. But thank you for asking the question, because actually I'm going to well, that's the short answer, but I'd like to take an opportunity to maybe clarify, clarify, maybe some potential miscommunication or misunderstandings on my part. The several members of the public and some council members behind the dais have mentioned the tenant relocation program that the Council adopted applicable to residential properties in May, effective on August 1st. In fact, it's mentioned in the council letter that was put together, which I think was somewhat hastily put together because Councilmember Price was trying to be reactive as quickly as possible to constituent concerns. But I think what I'm hearing from almost every member of the public and from everyone behind the dais is really what you want. Staff and myself to research is is not so much bringing mobile homes under the umbrella of the tenant relocation ordinance, but rather bringing you all back options to apply a rent stabilization ordinance, which is more protective. But at the risk of upsetting people, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what that's what I think the direction I'm going to take back with staff and we're going to come back with options.
Speaker 10: More along those lines on November 19th.
Speaker 4: A component of that could be relocation, could not be depending on what direction we get from y'all.
Speaker 7: Thank you for that for that clarification. I know this is Councilmember Price's item, but since it was an answer to my question, I think what I've my quick look looks like there's about 101 cities in California that have mobile home stabilization policies. And so being that this has moved fast, I guess understanding the difference in between that and how a relocation policy might effect or be added to a mobile home stabilization policy.
Speaker 4: We can certainly speak to that when we come back on the 19th. Yeah.
Speaker 7: I also I mean, I recognize I have a mobile home in my district that's also in pediatrics. So we just voted earlier on a visioning for pediatrics and I would imagine would be an area that that land value is going to go through the roof as we finalize this process. So definitely support protecting our mobile homeowners as much as possible. Thank you guys very much. I look forward to the presentation next week. Oh, I did have one thing. Could you also include in your presentation if it's if it's doable, the vacancy rate of our mobile home parks? Because my question is, if we had 340 mobile home residents that had their land increased by 35%, is there somewhere for them to go in the city? Thank you.
Speaker 6: We can try and that vacancy rate data is really difficult to come by. So we will do our best to answer the question.
Speaker 7: I can have a staff call around each of them and ask how many?
Speaker 9: Thank you.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Constantly, Ringo.
Speaker 6: I'm not going to speak a lot on this, but I do have a mobile home park in my district as well when we're villages. And I think that everything that has come forward at this point, thank you for the clarification in regards to what is going to be included in the study, because I think it's very important for everyone to know. And I hope that when you're doing the outreach, you also reach out to the other mobile home parks in the city as well. That's very important. They need to be made aware. If they're not experiencing some kind of increased rate now, they probably will. So we need to have that in place so that we can protect them as well. Thank you.
Speaker 1: Thank you. And I know we're going to everyone has a chance to speak. We do have a motion on the floor. I'm going to ask you a few comments and then we'll go to the vote. I just want to just first reiterate my support for this process and the motion in front of the council tonight. I've had multiple conversations with Councilwoman Pryce, and she's been great about keeping me and my team up to speed on what the issues are. And a lot of you have reached out as well. And I really, really do just really feel for the situation that you're in. I know I said it last time you were here, but nobody should have to face a 35% rent increase, especially not a senior on a fixed income. And so I think what's what you're all going through, we all are here to to help to help this process. I agree that there are there are multiple options, I think, in front of the council. I am I am glad that they're going to be coming back quickly so we can have a broader conversation about what is possible. I would like to see and I think it's possible for this council to support a policy that that is fair and reasonable, that would support not just you, but all of our mobile home parks across the city of Long Beach. If you think about what is happening with the statewide, some folks mentioned Governor Newsom and and the statewide bill, I believe. I mean, that bill, as we know, exempts in many cases or in most cases mobile homes. We know that the tenant relocation program that I supported and folks supported here that was in front of this council did not include mobile home parks either. And so clearly, that is a gap. Any, any, any and something that I think should be addressed by by this body. Let me also just say that I'm I'm I do support this approach because I think Mr.. Mr. Anthony you'll be able to to give us and give the body some some input as to whether this really is a a new program that is that is based on stabilization of of rents around mobile home parks. If this is some type of of companion legislation to the tenant relocation ordinance and what that actually could look like. And so I am hopeful and looking forward to seeing those different options that you bring in front of us. I will say more broadly, there is a lot of changing law on this in this topic that is in this area that is happening very quickly, not just what the state is doing, but how what the state has done also affects the city's tenant relocation ordinance and how what we do needs to align with the state as well. And so those are all discussions that are going to be happening over the next few weeks and months ahead. And and just please note that we will be monitoring this closely. And I just really want to thank you all for coming out and making us aware of this huge challenge in front of us. So thank you very much for being here. And. And please know you have my support. I look forward to working with all of you on this account. Councilmember. Councilmember Supernova.
Speaker 10: Thank you. I'd like to thank all the speakers tonight and to those who I communicated with individually. I hope I was realistic and not pessimistic. I hope I was successful in explaining the process and telling you how this was in Councilwoman Price's district. And that handoff, I think I'll have to agree, was a great resource. I think she handled this beautifully. So thank you. I do have a question about the item that we're about to vote on. To Mr. Anthony. If I understood you correctly, you would would you say that it's more than likely this will be a stand alone ordinance? I don't want to put words in your mouth, but is that where we're going?
Speaker 4: And I don't want to put words in the council's Matthew. Matthew, the policy makers. But yes, that would be that's what I'm hearing y'all say. A tenant relocation ordinance applicable to mobile.
Speaker 10: Homeowners would not restrict.
Speaker 4: Rent increases. And just about everyone has spoken about the need to restrict rent increases. That would be pursuant to a rent stabilization ordinance. Like many, many members of the public and councilmembers have have spoken about, there's over 100 jurisdictions in California that have mobile home rent stabilization ordinances applicable only to mobile homes. So we would not be treading new water in that regard. And I would expect most of the options we bring back will be.
Speaker 10: Along those lines. Okay. So the point of clarification is we're not looking at the wording we have on the agenda. I know we're looking at what you just stated.
Speaker 4: That's right. Okay. Thank you for that. Yeah, right. Thanks.
Speaker 1: Thank you. And Councilman Mongo.
Speaker 9: I just wanted to thank you all. I know that housing is a necessity and an emotional time, and I think you've been very professional. And I just want to commend you on coming forward today. And I hope that this unity will continue on once this has passed and that you've been able to gain more than just a a unity behind rent rent increases, but just to get to know each other and be a part of that, it's an amazing thing. I've gotten to know a few of you and I'm just so thankful for having had the opportunity, and I hope you guys are over each other as well, so some good things can come of it.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Councilman Price.
Speaker 5: Thank you. I just wanted to clarify one last thing in regards to my intent for this item. The intent look, the tenant relocation program, our ordinance that we passed here really doesn't apply to a lot of the issues that the mobile home park owners have. You know, 30 $500 or 40 $500 isn't going to do anything for them for relocation. My goal was to help them with the rent increases. So if we have an ordinance that we pass in the future that protects them from rent increases, I think it's only fair when the city is protecting other tenants from rent increases and the state is now protecting tenants from rent increases. So my goal is for us to have some options in terms of rent stabilization because the relocation aspects of our ordinance really don't apply to our mobile home park. So that was I mean, you're right that I put something together just to get it on the agenda, but at the time I did not know how different these two needs are and how mobile home law has its own very, very established set of laws.
Speaker 4: And that's perfect. Thank you. That makes me feel better about the way I characterized the direction that we'll take back. And thank you very much.
Speaker 1: And one one last thing also. Mr.. Mr.. Parking. Mr.. Anthony, I do think when we bring this issue back, I also just want to make sure, obviously, because I think Councilman Price is right here. Obviously, the state has enacted and the governor has signed a series of of protections, rent caps, just cause in a variety of different protections for renters and tenants. And I just also think it's important that as we discuss this stabilization ordinance, which is certainly, I think different, that we look at the broader picture of all of our tenants across the city of Long Beach and just make sure that we are that if that the state is providing that level of protection for everyone and that we fill in gaps when appropriate. So I look forward to that, that discussion as well. And so with that, we have a motion and a second source. Please go ahead and cast their votes.
Speaker 5: Motion carries.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much. Thank you all for being here. We're going to hear. She went 28 and 23.
Recommendation to request City Manager to work with the City Attorney to draft an ordinance establishing rental increase protections for mobile home owners for rent increases of 10% or more by adding mobile home parks to our current tenant protection ordinance.