A mobile-home park owner and a park resident clashed in a debate Thursday over the fairness of a ballot measure that will determine whether Oceanside will phase out the mobile-home rent control that has been in place since 1984.
At issue is Proposition E on the June 5 ballot, which asks city voters if they want to retain a so-called rent decontrol ordinance.
In an hourlong debate on KOCT-TV community television, Amy Epsten argued that phasing out rent control would give park owners a chance to make a fair return on their investment, while mobile-home park resident Bob Ryan said the end of rent control would be disastrous for seniors and others who have invested their life savings in their homes.
Epsten said decontrol would "bring balance and fairness" to the mobile-home parks.
Rent control "was literally like a government taking our property," Epsen said.
Ryan said rent control protects park residents against unreasonable increases in rents. He said people who now pay a few hundred dollars in rent for their space could wind up paying more than $1,000 without rent control.
Adopted in May on a 3-2 City Council vote, the decontrol ordinance would retain rent control in the city's 17 mobile-home parks for people who already live in rent-controlled spaces, but remove it when they move or sell their homes. In the event of a death, the space could lose rent-control protection.
Mobile-home residents in June turned in petitions signed by 15,484 people, forcing the council to either repeal the decontrol ordinance or put it on the ballot.
The council voted 3-2 in August to put the ordinance on the ballot. Mayor Jim Wood and Councilwoman Esther Sanchez wanted to repeal it, but Councilmen Jerry Kern, Gary Felien and Jack Feller --- all of whom backed decontrol ---- opted to ask voters to decide.
Epsten's family owns Mission View Mobile Estates in Oceanside and other parks in Chula Visa, San Diego and El Cajon.
Ryan is a resident of Miramar Mobile Home Community and was a leader of the petition drive to put decontrol on the ballot.
Ryan said that if rent control were removed, mobile home owners would be unable to recoup their investment because it will be difficult if not impossible to sell the homes if park owners can raise rents as high as they want.
Decontrol "takes away any equity rights of anyone who owns a (mobile) home," Ryan said. "They're taking away the rights of you to leave anything to your heirs."
Many seniors who live in the parks bought their homes with the expectation that they would get enough money back when they sold them to cover future living expenses or be able to pass on their investment to their relatives, Ryan said.
Epsten said there's no reason to expect mobile-home residents would lose their investment. She said homes in San Diego County mobile-home parks that don't have rent control have been selling for about the same price as mobile homes in Oceanside under rent control.
"The homes sell for what they're worth," Epsten said.
Ryan said park owners make ample profit under rent control. He said the owners of his park made a 59 percent profit in 2010.
Epsten said she couldn't speak for Ryan's park but said that level of profit was not typical.
"We're a family businesses. We're trying to keep our doors open," Epsten said. "We're supplying affordable housing in Oceanside."
She said as long as rent control remains in place, park owners have no incentive to make needed improvements to their parks or even stay in the mobile-home park business.
Ryan said he feared that the ultimate goal of park owners was to drive out their residents so they can use the property for something else.
"They can sell the land, they can build condos on it," Ryan said.
Epsten said her family has no intention of driving out residents of their parks.
"We're in the mobile-home business. We're not in development," Epsten.
Epsten said decontrol gives park owners an incentive to stay open because they will eventually be able to collect higher rents.
"No one's interested in closing the parks," Epsten said.
Ryan said rent control benefits the city through the money and volunteer time park residents provide the city.
"There's all kinds of benefits from the people who live in mobile-home parks to the city," Ryan said.
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