Anaheim Fails to Heed Pleas for Rent Control

A group representing residents of Anaheim mobile homes turned out more than 500 supporters at a City Council meeting Tuesday but failed to persuade council members to consider adopting a citywide rent control proposal.

Councilman William Ehrle, who supports the rent control measure, did not ask the council to vote on enacting an ordinance, but he did suggest that such a proposal be put on the June, 1988, ballot to gauge public sentiment. But that motion failed on a 3-2 vote, with Ehrle and Councilman Fred Hunter voting for and Mayor Ben Bay, Mayor Pro Tem Miriam Kaywood and Councilman Irv Pickler voting against.

The Anaheim Political Action Committee, which says it represents 7,000 of the city’s mobile home residents, contends that rents have skyrocketed at many of the city’s mobile home areas, forcing residents to consider selling their homes.

‘Government’ Interference

The group was seeking to have rent increases tied to the rise in the consumer price index. Ehrle argued that residents have a “right to have stabilized rents.”

But Bay said rent control amounts to “government interference in basic economics.”

“I find it amazing that someone would say to government, ‘I want your help to get me out of something I got myself into,’ ” he said.

Phil Israel, president of the political action group, said that he was disappointed by the council’s action but that the group will try to gain enough signatures to have a rent control initiative placed on the ballot.

Homeless Shelter Funds OKd

In other action, the council voted unanimously to award more than $203,000 in state funds to Anaheim Interfaith Shelter Inc. to buy an occupied 10-unit apartment building for use as the city’s first homeless shelter.

The building, at 626 N. Pauline St., houses eight tenants. Plans call for beds to be made available to the homeless as units are vacated.

An Interfaith Shelter official said the group will not acquire the building until November and will be able to start housing homeless families in December. Once in the shelter, families will be able to stay for 60 days until permanent housing can be found. They will also be provided with food and job and employment counseling.

The shelter issue elicited no comment from the council.