VALINDA - Lisa Gillette's rent at the Covina Hills Mobile Country Club has sky-rocketed by nearly $300 over the past several years, causing her to all but reach the breaking point.
The food service worker makes about $1,100 a month, her husband is suffering from cancer and cannot work and every year she faces a 5-percent rent increase. Her once affordable monthly rent now is pushing $1,000.
"It's a struggle," Gillette said. "People are in fear of more rent control so many won't come forward but it hurts too much to not speak up."
Gillette was among 200 people who attended a meeting Saturday between mobile home residents and owner Entera Management Company.
Residents who are facing hardships, have lost jobs or aren't seeing pay raises demanded a rent stabilization. Entera President Tom Morgan said the rent issue stems from "miscommunication" and he wants to work with residents.
"If a resident is a good tenant we are willing to work with them," Morgan said. "We were unaware with the level of concern they (tenants) had; we need to communicate better."
Morgan said the company, which owns seven rental properties in Southern California, has rental assistance programs such as rent adjustment and reduction.
But he gave no definite answer Saturday that there would be rent stabilization for everyone. Morgan said a reduction in yearly increases is already being implemented.
"We're going to make a good faith and honest effort to address everyone's needs," he said. "We will help you. We will get through this."
Realtor Judy White said it is nearly impossible to sell a home in the park.
"It's hard to get buyers. We can't sell and people feel suffocated," said White, who has lived there for 20 years. "It's not good for the park."
Many residents started with a base rent of $600 and have slowly seen it rise to just over $1,000. Most of them are charged an annual 5 percent rent increase.
Mother of four Rocio Sandoval is on the verge of moving out of the mobile home park if her rent increases anymore.
"If the rent stabilization doesn't work things are going to be very difficult," Sandoval said.
Sharon Brown, originally from Chicago, has been living at the park for 10 years. Since first moving in, her rent has tripled to more than $1,000 monthly.
Brown has had four strokes in the last year, and has lost three jobs in the last two years.
"I'm paying more rent than I have income," she said, adding that she wrote a letter to management asking for help but never heard back.
"I looked up property laws, and I found out we have no rights under land laws," Brown said. "They can double the utilities and throw you out one by one."
Park management recently took the 5 percent rental increase and lowered it to a 3 percent increase in light of the economy, Morgan said.
He also said Saturday that management is looking at some other rental assistance programs like a retirement program for seniors, assistance for those who are close to losing their homes and government grants to reduce utility bills.
"We can't do business the way we did business four, five years ago," Morgan said. "We want to be part of the solution."
Staff writer Juliette Funes contributed to this story.
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