Mobile home rent control fight heats up Mobile home rent control fight heats up (February 06, 2004)

Lieber takes charge, Vidovich responds

By Grace Rauh

State Assembly member Sally Lieber and mobile home park owner John Vidovich have long been at odds. With Lieber working to put a rent control initiative on the November ballot, that isn't likely to change.

Lieber has become a crusader for some park residents in recent years, appearing before the City Council and speaking with mobile home park residents when in town.

She spent last Saturday morning with roughly 60 residents at the Santiago Villa Mobile Home Park, talking about the ballot initiative plans and listening to residents recount their own experiences in the park.

Residents told her that they sometimes left with as little as $40 a month after they pay their space rent and other fees, which leaves them in a dire situation, said Lieber.

According to park manager George Whitteker, mobile home owners pay between $500 and $795 to rent space at Santiago Villa. Utilities, trash and sewer costs extra, but there are no other fees to live in the park.

Nonetheless, mobile home owners have long complained about skyrocketing rents that stretch pocketbooks and lower the value of their homes. But John Vidovich, who owns Mountain View mobile home parks Sahara Village and Santiago Villa, said his rents are "fair and reasonable" and "in line with the rents in San Jose," where there is rent control.

"I think rent control creates more divisiveness between landlords and tenants," continued Vidovich. "And I don't think rent control is really good for a community unless it is necessary."

Vidovich is quick to point out that not all of his tenants have rallied behind Lieber's rent control cry, and he notes that rents on some lots have been lowered since the dot-com bust.

"I think Sally needs to have an issue. She needs to have controversy. She needs a villain," he said.

Lieber is hoping to kick-start the rent control battle following the March 2 election and is considering opening a campaign office in Mountain View to spearhead the effort.

Lieber and mobile home owners need to gather 5,300 signatures from registered Mountain View voters by August to gain a spot on the ballot.

"I've been told now several times by our seniors living in parks that they have to pay their space rent first to protect their investment -- their coach -- because they can't become homeless," she said. "We have a lot of folks that aren't able to eat as regularly as they should. ... We have to have a predictable system in place."

But Vidovich said the relationship with the residents has improved. "It seems like the actions that the city did and we did have created a much better environment there," he said, referring to city policies that provided for mediation and tempered rent increases.

Some City Council members will hear from mobile home residents even sooner than March. Sahara Village residents will appear before the Council Neighborhoods Committee on Feb. 19 to turn in reports on the status of its residents' committee and any changes that have taken place since Dec. 2, according to Sandy Sandlin, chair of the Sahara committee.

E-mail Grace Rauh at grauh@mv-voice.com

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