Santa Ana mobile home owners protest high rents

Nov. 11, 2009 | By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | KPCC
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People who live in a Santa Ana mobile home park organized a protest today against a management company they say is gouging them on their rent.

Santa Ana is home to many mobile home parks – about 30 in all, said Steven Trujillo, an organizer with a mobile home owners rights group. Mobile Community Management Company operates some of the biggest ones.

Trujillo organized a protest at that company’s Santa Ana offices. He said rents for spaces at mobile home parks have gone up 10 percent in some cases; some owners pay up to $1,700 a month to park their homes.

"We just think that that’s just way too much. We’ve tried to negotiate with these people. And one park in Orange has a lawsuit pending against these people, another park in El Monte has a lawsuit against these people."

Trujillo said those suits accuse the company of providing inadequate electricity, sewage, and water services for the rent paid. The company denies those allegations.

In a written statement, company officials say the economic crisis has prompted them to offer rent subsidies to help mobile home owners in need. They added that they’re open to negotiating with mobile home owners.

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