Photo by Sarah Shmerling
By SARAH SHMERLING and LILY TINOCO
SB 749—authored by Senator Ben Allen to “extend affordable housing protections for mobile home park tenants in the wake of a natural disaster”—cleared the Senate Housing Committee, the senator announced on Wednesday, April 23.
SB 749 is related to residences in mobile home parks, including places like Palisades Bowl and Tahitian Terrace, both of which burned down in the Palisades fire. Those who own homes in the parks face a different path to rebuilding, as they own the structure on the property, but not the property itself.
“Current law almost disincentivizes the rebuilding of a home park like this, so we are seeking to address this,” Allen explained during a press conference that took place at Will Rogers State Beach on Thursday, April 17.
SB 749 will “expand and clarify” existing affordable housing law to protect against the conversion of land from affordable mobile home park units to market-rate units after a disaster.
“If a park owner is seeking to close or change use of the land, this measure would require the owner to provide notice of opportunities to purchase at fair market rates to resident organizations and qualified entities certified by the Department of Housing and Community Development,” according to a statement.
The qualified entities must have a mission of preserving affordable housing units across California.
SB 749 will next be heard in the Senate Judiciary in “the coming weeks,” according to Allen’s office.
“Mobile homes are the largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing in the nation, and provide important homeownership opportunities for many Californians,” read the statement. “Opportunities to preserve unsubsidized affordable housing are especially important today when the state’s affordable housing funding is oversubscribed and our existing housing stock is under increasing threat from climate disaster.”
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