For the residents of Golden Wheel Mobile Home Park, home isn’t just walls, it’s their security, their memories and their sense of belonging. But when the park’s owners sought to raise rents by $60 a month, the city of San Jose took a stand and denied the request.

The owners (Harmony Communities) argue that the increase is essential to recover over $1 million spent on renovations. But city officials pushed back, saying that the owners failed to prove they weren’t making a fair return on their investment.

This decision has lighted a long inquiry about the balance between affordability and business sustainability. Can mobile home parks survive under strict rent control or will limitations on rent increase discouragement? While tenants fight to keep their homes affordable, park owners think that without flexibility, the future of these communities is at risk. At the heart of it, all are families who simply want to stay in the place they’ve long called home, but at what cost is the waking question?

A Fight Between Profit and Protection.

Mobile home parks operate differently from traditional rentals. Tenants own their homes but rent the land under them, making them vulnerable to rent trips. If the land rent becomes too expensive, they can’t just leave. That’s why rent control exists, to protect low-income families from sudden increases.

But land owners argue that without the ability to raise rents, maintaining and improving these communities becomes impossible. They believe San Jose discourages investment and hurts the residents they aim to protect.

Finding the Balance.

This battle is bigger than just Golden Wheel Mobile Home Park. It’s about how we keep communities sustainable. Can mobile home parks survive under strict rent control? Can residents keep their homes without fear of being priced out?

Some say the city should step in and offer subsidies rather than forcing private owners to absorb costs. Others think that affordable housing is a right and rent stabilization is essential.

At the heart of it all are the residents; they are people who simply want to stay in the place they call home. And in this tug-of-war between profit and protection, the question remains: who truly wins?