PPCC President Sue Kohl emphasized the bill’s importance in safeguarding affordable housing and preventing displacement in Palisades
The Pacific Palisades Community Council has announced its support for Senate Bill 749, a measure designed to protect residents of the Palisades Bowl Mobile Home Park, which was destroyed in the devastating Palisades Fire, as the bill heads to a hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on August 20.
Authored by State Senator Ben Allen, SB 749 amends California’s Civil Code to ensure housing stability for mobile home park residents affected by wildfires or other natural disasters. The bill mandates that if a mobilehome park is rebuilt at the same location, management must offer renewed tenancy to previous homeowners on terms similar to their prior rental agreements, with adjustments allowed for rebuilding costs such as demolition, reconstruction, and environmental remediation. Management is required to send these offers by certified mail at least 240 days before the park reopens, with a 60-day window for residents to accept.
The legislation also requires park management to notify affected tenants and public entities, including the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), at least 12 months before any proposed closure or change of use. Additionally, it mandates that qualified entities, such as resident organizations or nonprofit groups, be given the opportunity to submit offers to purchase the park, with a fair market value determined through an appraisal process if needed.
In a letter dated August 15, PPCC President Sue Kohl, on behalf of the council’s Executive Committee, emphasized the bill’s importance in safeguarding affordable housing and preventing displacement in Pacific Palisades. “These residents are an integral part of our community,” Kohl wrote, noting that the HCD recognizes the critical role of preserving such housing to meet California’s housing needs.
The bill has garnered support from local leaders, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilwoman Traci Park, to whom the PPCC’s letter was addressed, alongside state officials like Governor Gavin Newsom and Assembly members Buffy Wicks, Kate Sanchez, and Jacqui Irwin.
