13 ATTACHMENTS - Laserfiche WebLink

NIK CITY OF PLEASANTON LAW OFFICES GILCHRIST RUTTER MAR 2 6 2009 PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION CITY ATTORNEY WILSHIRE PALISADES BUILDING TELEPHONE (310) 393- 4000 1299 OCEAN AVENUE, SUITE 900 FACSIMILE (310) 394 -4700 SANTA MONICA. CALIFORNIA 90401 -1000 E -MAIL: rclose @gilchristrutter. corn March 25, 2009 VIA FEDEX Mayor Jennifer Hosterman Vice Mayor Cheryl Cook Kallio Councilmember Cindy McGovern Councilmember Matt Sullivan Councilmember Jerry Thorne Pleasanton City Council 200 Old Bernal Avenue Pleasanton, California 94566 Re: Conversion to Resident Ownership of Vineyard Mobile Villas City Council Hearing: April 7, 2009 Dear Mayor Hosterman, Vice Mayor Cook Kallio, and Councilmembers McGovern, Sullivan, and Thorne: On April 7 you will be considering the approval of the conversion of Vineyard Mobile Villas to resident ownership. While you may have been presented with much legal reasoning as to the conversion process and the limitations of the law governing your role in the approval process, you may still be wondering why you should approve this project. The law that governs resident ownership of mobilehome parks was created to provide residents, the vast majority of whom are of lower income, an opportunity to own real estate, which they would not otherwise be able to afford. The same law that provides this opportunity also provides strict rent protection for those lower income residents who choose to remain renters. No residents will be displaced by the conversion. PROTECTING AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING: The average mobilehome park in California consists of more than 80% lower income residents and, as a senior park, it is estimated that an even greater number of Vineyard residents are lower income. This means that the rent for the vast majority of residents will be equally if not better protected after conversion than it is today. For those residents who ultimately decide that they do not wish to own, the law provides that they may stay and rent for as long as they choose with protection for future rent increases. Current law states that for lower income households (in Pleasanton, a four- person household that makes $66,250 per year or less qualifies as lower income) that choose to continue to rent, the rent can never increase more than the average increase in the previous four years or CPI, ATTACHMENT -1