County Takes Aim at Mobile Home Parks

Supervisors approved a plan Tuesday to overhaul some of Ventura County’s shabbiest mobile home parks after a survey of 21 sites found that about half offered substandard living conditions and posed health risks to residents.

With the county’s housing costs soaring--averaging $978 for a two-bedroom apartment--officials say mobile home parks have become an affordable alternative for low- and moderate-income families. Mobile-home space rents range from $186 to $518 a month.

But during inspections over the last several months, officials found 10 parks in unincorporated areas of the county in poor condition and lacking on-site managers. Among the problems cited were electrical hazards, the accumulation of septic tank waste, and unsound stairways and landings.

“I have some mobile home parks in my district and they are in absolutely Third World conditions,” Supervisor John K. Flynn said. “You walk in there and you’d say, ‘I can’t believe I’m in the United States of America.’ It’s immoral.”

Six other parks were listed in moderate condition, while only five received high-quality ratings. The names of the parks were not included in the report.

Exacerbating the problem, officials said, is a lack of oversight from the state.

Under the State Mobile Home Parks Act, inspectors are responsible for the health and safety of park residents. But those inspectors are overwhelmed, Chief Deputy Administrative Officer Marty Robinson said.

Based in Riverside, 15 state inspectors are responsible for all parks in 14 Southern California counties. “So they only investigate the most serious violations,” Robinson said, “and only in response to a complaint.”

In her report, Robinson said she was encouraged when a state inspector wrote up notices of violation to a mobile home park in extreme disrepair. But she was subsequently disappointed when the inspector “later signed off on them and stated he had seen much worse.”

Infuriated, the county called a meeting with state representatives, presenting them with photos of the park. The park was later cited for violations that included electrical and plumbing hazards, unsound stairways and waste buildup.

Supervisors lauded Robinson’s report and unanimously voted to endorse the Mobilehome Park Improvement Program.

To fund the program, county officials will apply for $110,000 in federal grant money.

The county also will begin sending letters to the worst mobile home parks. Park owners will be asked to voluntarily comply with improvement suggestions and will be offered a chance to meet with county officials to discuss repairs and funding sources, including grant opportunities.

If park owners do not comply, county officials will aggressively pursue state enforcement.

Though Flynn ultimately endorsed the plan, he cautioned that the program did not go far enough in solving the problem.

Robinson, however, said the point was to encourage cooperation, noting that the parks are becoming an increasingly important way to provide affordable housing.

“We don’t want to drive anyone out of the business,” Robinson said.