City Council

14A. Council initiated item from Mayor Bruce Ehlers regarding preservation of mobile home parks in Encinitas as a naturally occurring affordable housing solution. Environmental Considerations: The action being considered by the City Council is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a "project" under Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. The action is also exempt from CEQA under Section 15378(b)(5) of the CEQA Guidelines because it involves an organizational or administrative activity of government that will not result in the direct or indirect physical change in the environment. Recommended Action: Recommended questions and associated actions for staff: 1. Can Encinitas enact a moratorium on mobile home space rent increases that would retroactively set rents at January 1, 2026, rates until a future permanent "rent fairness ordinance" could be adopted? What options do we have and what are their ramifications? 2. Is it possible to adopt the moratorium using an urgency ordinance? 3. Compile a list of all Mobile Home Parks in Encinitas. Provide details such as number of rented spaces, zoning, applicable specific plan policies, existing lease escalation terms (if any) and ownership parties of the underlying land. Some parks are in zones specific to Mobile Home Parks and others are in Rural Residential. The analysis should include a description of the various zones and the resulting protection or lack of protections for mobile home parks. 4. What are the requirements for notification and due process that the City must follow so that all parties are notified and given ample legal notice? Is there an approximate resulting timeline? 5. Provide a recommended approach (not formal ordinance language) for a rent fairness ordinance and provide evaluation of similar ordinances that have been implemented elsewhere in CA (such as in Fortuna, CA). Staff would be directed to investigate these questions and any others that the Council desires answered. Staff would return at a future meeting, preferably urgently, to have Council consider an ordinance and other actions such as an ordinance and/or moratorium. 2026-10-14 Item 14A Council Initiated by Mayor Ehlers - Mobile Home Park Preservation Ordinance Proposal 2026-10-14 Item 14A Council Initiated item by Mayor Ehlers - Public Comment