Over 200 people attended the San José City Council on Tuesday, many with signs opposing a proposed amendment which would allow a ten percent rent increase for mobile homes.

The amendment to Chapter 17.22, known as the mobile home Rent Ordinance of Title 17 of the San José Municipal Code, would permit rent increases for mobile homes and add a resident rights petition process for rental disputes in San José, according to the meeting agenda. 

Maria Munoz, a resident of the San José Mobile Home & RV Park, said that the amendment benefits land owners and hurts mobile home residents. 

“It feels like a slap in the face,” Munoz said. “It will put people on the streets.”

San José Spotlight covered the controversy in a story published on Monday and spoke to members of the Housing and Community Development Commission, including Commissioner Ruben Navarro who was in attendance at the council meeting.

According to the Spotlight article, emails between mobile home owner and manager representative Ryan Jasinsky, collaborated with the Housing Department to create the amendment without input from other commissioners. 

Navarro said that the Housing Department and Jasinsky’s actions have damaged their trust. 

“It brings up an issue of transparency,” Navarro said. “The fact that they did not ask the mobile home renter representatives to help in the writing of the proposed changes suggests there’s no impartiality.” 

Matt Mahan, the mayor of San José, told attendees of the Council meeting to stop clapping and making comments outside of speaking during the public forum during the action item before the amendment, which discussed the Multifamily Housing Incentive Program Phase I Extension.

“I want to ask the organizers who have been spreading a lot of misinformation, riling people up and telling them that we’re fascists and sending people into the streets by talking about tweaking a policy that has produced zero units,” Mahan said. “I want you to look in the mirror before you go to bed tonight because you’ve done a lot of destructive things through this organizing.”

Mahan was met with jeers from the crowd directed towards him.

“We need to do better,” Mahan said. “There’s not enough housing for low-income folks, homelessness is an embarrassment and it’s something I think about every night before I go to bed, so yes, hold us accountable, we have to do better.”

The floor opened for public comment, with community members and local organizers to express concerns. 

Gail Osmer, a senior resident of Colonial Mobile Manor, said owners said they planned to put the extra funds from the rent increase into improving parks. 

“They say the owners are going to put the money back into fixing up the park or doing major renovations,” Osmer said. “I don’t believe that for a second. They’re going to put the money in their pockets.” 

Lori Katcher, lead organizer of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), attended with other members. 

Katcher said that she and other members of SURJ participated in the protest against the amendment because it will disproportionately affect ethnic minorities who are financially disadvantaged.

“Mobile home ownership is a way that our more marginalized communities and our black and brown communities have to create long-term wealth,” Katcher said. “Mobile homes’ are one of the last entry-level opportunities for home ownership left in San José.”

The amendment was substituted for an analysis on the proposed rent increase as well as an outreach campaign for residents and a return to the item in fall later this year. The motion passed 10-1 with District 7 Councilmember Bien Doan voting against.

Navarro said rent already increases by 3% every year for most renters, so this added increase would have only made the situation worse for mobile home owners. 

“This wouldn’t be an issue if their rent was hardly ever increased,” Navarro said. “It makes it harder for seniors to qualify to buy one … and seniors are going to lose their equity.”