Upland...The City of Gracious Living???

"The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) periodically requires the City of Upland to prepare and adopt a Consolidated Plan for the City’s CDBG Program. The Consolidated Plan is a long-term strategy for the use of the City’s CDBG funds over the next five years (2005-2010). The Consolidated Plan identifies prioritized programs to assist the City in providing decent housing and suitable living environments, addressing community service and facility needs, and expanding economic opportunities for primarily low and moderate income persons."

"Along with the five year Consolidated Plan, HUD requires an annual Action Plan outlining the City’s uses of CDBG funds for one- year." (The preceding quote is from a City of Upland Notice of Public hearing f/y 2009/2010.)

Now I would like to address some of the things that the City of Upland has included in these annual Action Plans regarding its Mobile Home Rent Control Program.  

In the 2003/2004 annual report, the City of Upland declares that it "Maintained rent stability for the 860 mobile home occupants."  The city also states that "the Redevelopment Department and the City Clerk's offices received inquiries regarding the Mobile Home Rent Control Ordinance" and that "the Redevelopment Department began the process to amend the City's current Mobile Home Ordinance.  During year five of the Consolidated Plan, the City will have amended its existing Mobile Home Ordinance."


In the 2005/2006 annual report, repeats basically the same thing.  "Maintained rent stability for the 860 mobile home occupants."  The report also states that the City continued to receive "numerous inquiries regarding the Mobile Home Rent Control Ordinance" and that the current rent control ordinance was still in the process of being updated.  A major difference in the 2005/2006 report was that listed under "Lead Agency" was the Upland Redevelopment Department AND the IFHMB (Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board.)

In the 2006/2007 annual report, under "Accomplishments and Time Frame" the city states "Maintain rent stability for the 860 mobile home occupants; update ordinance by Winter of 2006.


In the 2008/2009 annual report, again under "Accomplishments and Time Frame" the city state "Maintain rent stability for the 860 mobile home occupants" and then says the the ordinance will be updated by Winter of 2008.


In the 2009/2010 annual report, the City of Upland again cuts and pastes its declaration to HUD..."Maintain rent stability for the 860 mobile home occupants" and this time states that the ordinance will be updated by Winter of 2009.

Now, is the City of Upland blind?  How can the City of Upland state that it has maintained rent stability for it mobile home residents when it does not even know how many of us receive the benefit of rent control?  The City does not know how much rent is being charged for each of the 860 mobile home park spaces because it has never conducted a complete and accurate space rent survey and has never surveyed who and who is not on rent control.  In Upland Cascade Mobilehome Park, only a handful of the 188 spaces receive the benefit of rent control yet the City, year after year, continues to state that it maintains rent stability for its 860 mobile home occupants...this simply is not true.  Our space rents continue to skyrocket and the city officials continue to pass the buck or sit on their hands and do nothing.


Is the City of Upland lame?  The City admits that it has received "numerous inquiries regarding the Mobile Home Rent Control Ordinance" and for AT LEAST 7 YEARS claims it is updating the ordinance.  Seven years and still no update to the ordinance and all along many Upland Cascade Mobilehome Park residents have been and continue to be priced out of their homes due to the egregious rents they are being charged...in a City that has rent control.  It is sad to say that at this point in time any updates to the ordinance will be too late for many of us. 


Is the City of Upland mute?  Mayor John Pomierski, Councilmember Brendan Brandt, Councilmember Ray Musser, Councilmember Tom Thomas and Coucilmember Kenneth W. Willis...you know of the abuses that have been taking place behind the walls of Upland Cascade Mobilehome Park yet you say nothing and offer us no assistance other than refer us to your buffer, the Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board.  IFHMB then 'kowtows' to park management/owners and we are again left out in the cold. (my opinion) It appears that for at least the past 7 years the City of Upland has made inaccurate and erroneous claims in its reports to HUD.  If you cannot/ will not help your City's residents, taxpayers and voters with the problems we are facing then you should at least make an effort to provide truthful and accurate information to other agencies.  Especially if you are asking them for money.  


Residents have asked for help...begged for help yet the City continues to say this is a "civil matter" and there is nothing it can do.  We are low and moderate income residents struggling to make ends meet in the face of exorbitant rents and do not have the resources to take on our park owners in a civil lawsuit.  Our park owners are aware of this and continue to take advantage our situation.  The City of Upland is aware of this and for some reason continues to shamefully turn its back on us hoping that we will just go away.  The information I have provided in this post indicates that for years the City of Upland has actually been a part of the problem rather than a part of the solution to the financial mayhem that is taking place in Upland Cascade Mobilehome Park.  Our efforts have been stymied, patronized and ignored by this city.  How can we make it any clearer that something is terribly wrong here.  Is the City of Upland deaf or does it just have selective hearing?  The City of Upland's motto is "The City of Gracious Living."  To many of its residents, this motto appears only to apply to homeless animals and wealthy developers.