[Your return address]

 

Date [Month, day, year]

HON. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, GOVERNOR
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: 916-445-4633

 

RE: AB 1542 (Evans) Mobilehome Park Condominium Conversions - PLEASE SIGN THIS BILL

 

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

 

    We are writing to urge you to sign AB 1542. The bill will help protect seniors and working families now living in mobile home parks where condominium conversions are being proposed by the park owners. The bill will also give cities and counties greater authority to protect affordable housing for mobilehome owners in these parks.

 

    We are residents of a mobilehome park. We purchased our mobile home because it was affordable to us. Our park consists of low and moderate income families and seniors. Many of us would be forced to move if our park were converted to condominiums.  We understand the price of purchasing a condominium interest in some parks is over $225,000.  We can not afford this.

 

    AB 1542 will allow local governments to require park owners to disclose and report on how the plan would impact very low, low, and moderate income homeowners. It would allow local governments to require mitigation for any households who would be hurt by the plan. The local government would also have the authority to approve or deny the plan based on its effect on the well-fare of its citizens and its impact on the community's affordable housing.

 

    This is important because under current law, local rent control is eliminated for the entire park after the sale of just one condominium interest in the park. Park owners can increase rents drastically thereafter.  While current state law limits the rent increases which can legally be imposed on low income residents, there is no state or local agency which can enforce this, and park owners can easily get around the limits. 

     Few mobilehome owners are financially able to buy the condo air box where their home is located, and financing is hard to find, and carries high interest rates. There is a small state loan fund ("MPROP"), but this is only about $8 million for the whole state, and has numerous restrictions and limitations (e.g. no MPROP funding unless 2/3rds of park residents agree to purchase condo interests)

     Park owners of over 40 mobilehome parks around the state are currently trying to convert their parks to condominiums.  If AB 1542 does not become law, we believe hundreds of other parks will face condo conversions in the near future.  That will force thousands of residents in mobilehome parks to lose their homes.  So we strongly urge you to sign AB 1542.

Thank you for your consideration.

 

Sincerely,

[Your Name(s)]

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