Pomona : Council Rejects Rent Freeze

Rejecting a plea from more than 50 residents of a Pomona mobile home park, the City Council voted down a proposed rent freeze that would have blocked the park’s planned rent increases of about 50%.

Council members Tomas Ursua and Nell Soto had advocated a 60-day moratorium on rent increases at mobile home parks, but Mayor Donna Smith said a freeze would open the city to lawsuits from park owners.

“I don’t think we should jump into any form of rent control until we see if mediation can work,” Smith said.

The council Monday voted 3 to 2 against the freeze, and voted unanimously to hire the Inland Mediation Board of Ontario to try to resolve the dispute between Westmont Mobile Home Park and its tenants.

Tenants accused the owners of using “scare tactics” to force them to sign leases and said they cannot afford the increases, set to begin Jan. 1.

Judith Ring said her rent will rise from $233 to $347 a month. She said she cannot move her mobile home into another park because none are available nearby and the increase is so steep it could “cause me to lose my home.”

David Kracoff, who represents the owners, denied that scare tactics were used and said he welcomed mediation.