Summary
SB 1052 implements recommendations from the State Auditor’s report 2023-112, which will improve the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in its oversight of the Residency Law Protection Program.
Background
There are nearly 4,500 mobile home parks in California, totaling more than 360,000 spaces or lots. Mobile homes and trailers are called home by about 3 percent of the State’s population, and many of these Californians are older and have lower incomes than the overall population. In July 2020, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) became responsible for administering a new program called the Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Program (program). The program allows mobile home owners to submit complaints about alleged violations of the Mobilehome Residency Law (residency law) to HCD. In response, HCD must forward those program eligible allegations to a contracted nonprofit legal service provider (LSP) that can assist the homeowner.
Audit 2023-112 published by the State Auditor’s Office regarding the Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Program made various legislative recommendations to improve HCD’s oversight. The key recommendations included permitting HCD access to information regarding the status of each case and services provided to complainants, eliminating the excessive $10 lot fee, and for HCD to conduct regular surveys to determine and ensure that complainants are provided proper services they are entitled to.
These recommendations were made in response to key findings that noted that HCD did not prevent some LSPs from inappropriately denying services to complainants and that HCD has amassed $8.3 million in unspent funds from the $10 lot fee as of June 30, 2023 largely due to less participation than what was previously projected. The recommendations mentioned previously are intended to provide HCD with the authority to better address and resolve the problematic findings in the State Auditor’s report.
Proposal
SB 1052 implements State Auditor’s recommendations regarding the Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Program to promote program efficiency and ensure greater access to program legal services.