AB 246 to Limit Rent Increases in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties

New emergency legislation — AB 246, authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), has been introduced to eliminate rent increases in Los Angeles County and Ventura County for 12 months after the declaration of emergency established by Executive Order on January 7, 2025.

This legislation would add another impediment to increasing the supply of housing in areas impacted by the recent wildfires. Los Angeles County already has an aggressive rent control policy for mobilehome parks, and AB 246 —  if passed — will exacerbate the problems associated with capping rental prices.

WMA has joined with several other business associations in opposing AB 246, as the measure applies to all residential rental housing in Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Other members of the opposition coalition include the California Apartment Association, the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Business Roundtable, and many other business groups across the state.

To read the full text of AB 246, click here. 

You can also find out where AB 246 is in the legislative process by visiting the WMA website by clicking here. 

Because this is an “urgency statute” that would take effect immediately, the normal deadlines for public review can be waived by a majority vote of the Assembly.

Governor Approves $2.5 Billion for Wildfire Relief, but Legislature Blocks Additional $1 Billion for Vegetation Management

Last week, the Governor approved legislation to provide $2.5 billion in assistance for evacuations, debris removal, sheltering for survivors, and grants to local governments affected by the recent fires for the purpose of expediting building permits and inspections to expedite reconstruction.

During the debate over the aid package, Assemblyman James Gallagher (R, Yuba City) offered an amendment to provide an additional $1 billion for vegetation management that would have provided funds to hire people to clear out underbrush on state lands. The proposed amendment was laid on the table, thereby ending discussion of the issue.

To learn more about the progress being made in the recovery and rebuilding effort in Los Angeles County, please click here.

Key Committee Assignments Made in Assembly and Senate

The vast majority of introduced legislative measures that affect manufactured housing communities are referred to the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee. Bills are referred to policy committees by the respective Rules Committees in both the Senate and Assembly.

In the Senate, the Rules Committee decides which lawmakers sit on which committees. While the Rules Committee is made up of five senators, the President pro Tempore is the de facto decision maker as the majority party holds a majority of the Rules Committee seats.

The makeup of the Senate Judiciary Committee this year is as follows:

Senator Tom Umberg (D, Santa Ana) – Chair

Senator Roger Niello (R, Fair Oaks) – Vice Chair

Senator Ben Allen (D, Santa Monica)

Senator Angelique Ashby (D, Sacramento)

Senator Anna Caballero (D, Merced)

Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D, Los Angeles)

Senator John Laird (D, Santa Cruz)

Senator Eloise Gomez Reyes (D, Colton)

Senator Henry Stern (D, Los Angeles)

Senator Suzette Valladares (R, Santa Clarita)

Senator Aisha Wahab (D, Hayward)

Senator Akilah Weber Pierson (D, San Diego)

Senator Scott Wiener (D, San Francisco)

In the Assembly, the Speaker unilaterally decides which lawmakers sit on which committees.  He is responsible for selecting committee chairs and deciding how many legislators sit on each committee.

The makeup of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee membership has been increased to 12 members this year, and the members are as follows:

Assemblymember Matt Haney (D, San Francisco) – Chair

Assemblymember Joe Patterson (R, Rocklin) – Vice Chair

Assemblymember Anamarie Avila Farias (D, Concord)

Assemblymember Jessica Caloza (D, Los Angeles)

Assemblymember James Gallagher (R, Yuba City)

Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D, San Jose)

Assemblymember Alex Lee (D, San Jose)

Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D, Fullerton)

Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria (D, Merced)

Assemblymember Tri Ta (R, Westminster)

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D, Oakland)

Assemblywoman Lori Wilson (D, Suisun City)

Since the legislative deadline to introduce bills is February 21, committee hearings are expected to begin in late March. Bills must be available for public review for 30 days before they can be acted on by a policy committee, so late March and early April will see the bulk of legislative committee hearings on bills affecting the manufactured housing community industry. 

To stay up to date about which bills WMA is tracking, click here.

WMA Coffee Talk Next Week – Mobilehome Industry Forecast

On Thursday, February 6, mobilehome industry expert John Nolan (who is also a board member of the California Manufactured Housing Institute) will be the featured speaker at WMA’s Coffee Talk. In this one-hour conversation, held from 10:00 to 11:00 am, John Nolan will discuss the state of the mobilehome industry and provide informed insight into the near-term economic future of manufactured housing communities in California.

To learn more about how to join this informational Coffee Talk, click here. 

We look forward to your participation in this regularly scheduled event that features new speakers each month, covering a wide range of topics.

General Remarks

It is an honor to serve WMA and our dedicated members who work hard to provide housing opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Californians. If you have questions about pending legislation, regulations, park tours, or anything else related to the California Legislature, please email me at chris@wma.org or call me in the office on my direct line at 916.288.4026.