On October 13, 2020, the Sunnyvale City Council adopted a comprehensive Housing Strategy that includes dozens of policy items for city staff to pursue and ranks them according to an implementation timeline. Originally prioritized by the Council as a study item in 2017, the Strategy will shape the city’s approach to housing for years to come. While there were a series of recommendations included in the report, the majority of residents in attendance were there to voice concerns about the City’s lack of controls on mobilehome space rents.

Rather than recommend the adoption of a mobilehome rent control ordinance, city staff instead proposed a hybrid approach where mobilehome park owners and tenants would work together to reach a mutually agreed upon solution on rent levels. If no agreement could be reached after six months, the city would begin a study to consider a Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO). After a long debate, the Council reached a compromise position: the city would ask the parties to work together as proposed by staff, but if no resolution was reached within the six-month timeframe the Council would agendize an urgency ordinance to rapidly implement a mobilehome rent stabilization program.

While SV@Home is disappointed that the Council did not agree to move forward now with a mobilehome Rent Stabilization Ordinance, we are excited about the other elements of the adopted Strategy. We joined with Liveable Sunnyvale and Greenbelt Alliance to submit a joint letter expressing our support for the Strategy and our proposed modifications and focus areas, which you can read here.

Overall, we are looking forward to continuing to working closely with the City of Sunnyvale in advancing and implementing the many excellent components of the Housing Strategy. We will be watching closely the process to consider a mobilehome space rent stabilization ordinance and will report back on progress made.