16 Dec San Pablo Seniors Getting $150k for Rising Rents, but ‘What Happens’ Next? Official Asks

San Pablo City Council earmarked $150,000 on Monday to help senior mobile home renters. Of that, $1,000 each will go to 150 people; the city has 450 mobile home park spaces. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

After several meetings of San Pablo seniors living in mobile homes pleading for a solution to their rising rents, the City Council devoted $150,000 in grants to help offset the costs.

It’s not enough, seniors say.

Seniors from Harmony Communities mobile home parks in the city said Monday that the grants, which total a one-time $1,000 payment for each recipient, are only a “Band-Aid” to the problem because rents could continue to rise without additional assistance.

“What happens the rest of the year?” said council member Abel Pineda. “I don’t think the solution is us footing the bill over and over again. There should be an actual program or policy that creates protections and guidelines.”

The decision comes two weeks after Pineda’s proposal for an emergency rent moratorium for mobile home renters failed in favor of the then-publicly unknown proposal. Mayor Elizabeth Pabon-Alvarado and council member Arturo Cruz said at the time that they trusted the city manager’s plan, but both also referred to the increases as a “misunderstanding” or “misinformation.”

Pineda and seniors also suggested the city raise the amount in each grant, but it failed to gain traction.

The city has around 450 mobile home park spaces across seven sites, though only 150 grants will be given out, according to the city. Two of those sites are owned by Harmony Communities, whose residents are reporting rent increases.

Increases, the seniors said, are especially unaffordable because many are on fixed incomes and are disabled.

“We need sutures — sutures hold things together and help things to heal. We need healing,” said Linda Jackson, who lives in one of the mobile home parks.

Mobile home rents are not capped statewide in California. Local jurisdictions can implement their own policies, but only Pineda has been vocal about doing so.

Pineda, who has worked on legislation on the state level, says that it would be too late by the time something goes into effect.

“To rely on the state and hope and believe they are going to find that solution for us, I think it may be too late,” he said.

>>>Read: For Many in the Bay Area, Affordable Housing Is Not Affordable<<<

Officials have signaled that they’re waiting for state laws to change instead of implementing any local ordinances, shying away from going further than state law when it comes to rent caps. In July, they voted to provide more renter education rather than consider a rent stabilization ordinance that would further current state protections.

The city manager will also work on the state level to “support mobile home rental regulation protections under State law,” according to the staff report for the grant program.

Applications will be accepted from Jan. 6, 2026, to Jan. 20, 2026, and will be disbursed by Feb. 5, 2026.