Sacramento, CA – Mobile Home Park Residents, Senior Citizens, Veterans and other concerned citizens gathered at the State Capitol last September 26 to strongly urge Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign into law AB 1542 as approved by the State Legislature. This bill would provide continued rent-control protection for residents whose parks have been proposed for CONDO or SUBDIVISION Conversions.

A current loophole in State Law allows all rent controls to be unenforceable even if only one parcel of land is sold. The City of Carson has recently enacted a moratorium on all Conversions spearheaded by Mayor Pro Tempore Elito Santarina, whose photo is shown on the upper right side. "The State’s affordable housing supply will be in serious jeopardy if the Governor vetoes this bill and thus, I express my heartfelt gratitude for the vigilance and activism of our Mobile Home Park Residents in joining me in this struggle." Santarina said. A Manifesto signed by more-than 300 residents and seniors was presented to the Governor’s Senior Legislative Secretary Curt Augustine and an in depth 40-minute meeting to discuss the issue allowed Mobile Home Park leaders Tim Sheahan (President –GSMOL), David Grabell (Counsel for Sonoma, Sta Rosa Park Residents), Rev. Ronald Tan (for Carson Park Residents and the Mayor Pro Tem’s Assistant), Janet Kuhn (Colony Cove Resident and other Northern California Park leaders.

"This issue transcends partisan politics or property rights; the bill does not deny the landowner the right to convert. It does however, provide certain amendments to current State Law which would allow Local Jurisdictions some necessary control so as to preserve rent control and the residents the option of determining their own fate. I believe human dignity far outweighs any other considerations as majority of the residents are seniors who are in the twilight of their lives. It is inhuman to cause them to be homeless," The Rev. Ron Tan conveyed to Curt Augustine.