Marin Voice: Novato council deserves credit for passing mobile home rent control

Sometimes it feels as if it’s hard to find any good news about affordable housing in Marin County. But there is and it’s coming from Novato.

On July 9, buried in the Novato City Council agenda with 10 other items that were bundled together and passed unanimously, was final approval of what may be Marin County’s most progressive and balanced rent-control law for an often-overlooked affordable housing option: mobile homes.

What passed included a 4% cap on annual base rent increases. That’s as low as any North Bay municipality. All new leases are covered. Those provisions protect residents – who own their homes, but rent the land – from fiscal shocks. But that’s only half of what Novato did.

The rent control revisions, which affect three parks with roughly 500 residences, also has money-saving efficiencies for landowners. Instead of having to go through a costly city-run administrative hearing to recoup money spent on capital improvements, the park owners can get direct approval from the park’s residents (via their homeowners’ association).

There is always going to be some friction between renters and landlords. But under the guidance of Novato Mayor Mark Milberg, City Attorney Gary Bell and City Manager Amy Cunningham, Novato balanced protection for residents and savings for park owners.

You might ask how Novato got here. And why did the city revise its mobile home rent controls when it faces so many issues – such as the need to raise the local sales tax to end a multi-million-dollar deficit?

To start, Novato’s government takes affordable housing seriously.

Last fall, one park’s homeowner’s association brought the issue to Milberg. The Los Robles park is a community for people 55 years and older. It is made up of semi- or fully retired teachers, social workers, artists, builders and business owners. It is one of the Bay Area’s most affordable quality housing options.

Before moving here two years ago, I saw the fights between homeowners and park owners in other North Bay communities. This park had its frictions between residents and park management. I and others in our homeowners’ association felt we could reset relations and put new protections and cost efficiencies into local law.

There were plenty of doubters. Nonetheless, we talked with management, negotiated and, in October, jointly presented the City Council with a wishlist of reforms. Milberg, who is our group’s representative on the council, didn’t know what to make of us.

After all, we presented an agreed-upon agenda from factions that usually fight. But Milberg was open-minded, solution-oriented and guided us through the process. Neither the HOA nor park owners got everything they wanted. But what emerged was fair. The truth is we had to present a readymade compromise. There was no other way to get Novato’s busy business-minded city government to act on our behalf.

Milberg presented the proposed rent control reforms to the city’s two other parks. They were seen as fair. That allowed the City Council to move ahead.

“You see rent control ordinances come up all the time across the Bay Area. And it’s always a big headline and a nasty experience,” Councilman Tim O’Connor said after a June public hearing. “This was the most synergistic, like everyone getting along kumbaya approach, that I’ve seen in my time on council. It was remarkable. It speaks to the character of the people involved, the owners, the residents, and your partnership and willingness to work together as much as anything that we did.”

“I also want to echo this was a really impressive coming together to get this in a better shape than when we started,” Milberg said. “That’s really the reason I’m on the council – to leave things better than when I started. I’m really proud of this work.”

Milberg said the process has “become sort of a beacon for other communities to see.” It shows progress is possible to protect affordable housing stock – even in this county.

Steven Rosenfeld, of Novato, is secretary of the Los Robles Mobile Home Park Homeowners Association and lifelong journalist.