For many Bay Area residents, rising house prices and skyrocketing rents no longer come as a surprise. But for hundreds of people living in the Plaza Del Rey mobile home park in Sunnyvale, it’s coming as a shock.
Tenants, most of whom now pay around $900 a month to rent the space (not including trailer), will face an eight percent hike starting in May.
“It’s straight up American greed,” said Pam West, a resident. She told NBC Bay Area that when her mother moved into the park in 1971, she paid only $100 a month for the space.
Now, many residents who already live under a tight budget are scrambling to find alternate housing arrangements.
“The rent is exceeding what our income is per month,” West said. “It’s like, where do you go to live now?”
Some residents are even starting to sell possessions to cover the eight percent increase or moving expenses.
“I’m going to have to get rid of my dining room table,” resident Liz Langarica said. She plans on moving to Sacramento, where rents are more affordable. “It’s a really sad affair.”
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Within walking distance from the mobile home park, two-bedroom apartments are listed for more than $3000 a month. Rent ceilings for more modest apartments in the area have also taken a steep climb.
A spokesperson for the Carlyle Group, the company that owns the mobile home park, says there will be a hardship program in place to help residents who might have difficulty paying rents. The spokesperson added that the increase in price will go towards upgrades and maintenance.
West doesn’t know if she’ll qualify for the financial assistance program, but she’s hoping she can continue to call Sunnyvale home.
West, along with other residents, have banded together and will be meeting with Sunnyvale leaders to discuss pricing and housing options.
