To assure more affordable housing is reserved for seniors, Santa Clarita’s City Council voted to enforce that three local mobile home parks must issue 90 percent of their leases to seniors.
Prior to the council meeting Tuesday, a senior park had to have a minimum of 80 percent senior residents. Sierra Park, Greenbrier Estates and Canyon Palms parks currently have 81, 87 and 89 percent seniors, respectively.
“I’m thrilled that we can do everything we can to preserve what little senior housing we have,” Mayor Laurene Weste said.
From now on, every lease a resident signs for the three parks must be sent to the city to keep tabs on the number of seniors, the council decided.
“When they enter into new leases, they’re notifying us so we can verify that they’re meeting that senior percentage that they’re shooting for,” City Attorney Joseph Montes said.
Councilmembers deliberated if they ought to push the mandate to 100 percent seniors in the parks, but Montes warned it would not allow for non-seniors to stay living in a park if their senior housemate dies or moves.
“I would agree with the 90 percent compromise,” Councilman Cameron Smyth said. “We need to continue to move ourselves in that direction, but to jump straight to 100 percent right now would be a little too onerous.”
Two senior mobile home park residents came to the council meeting to voice concerns with maintenance and upkeep in Sierra Park during the public hearing.
The city will work to address the problems they have control over, including if the issue violates fire department or code enforcement rules, according to City Manager Ken Striplin.
City staff will also relay any other concerns to the Housing and Community Development Department, the city manager said.
“We want there to be as much enforcement where we can, to the levels where we are able, to ensure that all of our residents, regardless of where they are living, regardless of their income status, have that feeling of safety and live in a safe, protected, clean environment,” Councilman Smyth said.
