Santa Clarita City Council approved Tuesday night the revised mobile home ordinance with zero percent consumer price index floor.

The City Council voted 4-1 in favor of the ordinance, with Mayor Pro-Tem Bob Kellar as the lone vote against. Mayor Marsha McLean raised concerns with proposed changes, but voted in favor.

The consumer price index, or CPI, is a measure of the price level of consumer goods and services over time.

The ordinance was in response to a state report identifying a need for over 5,700 additional units of affordable housing for low and very-low income households, said Erin Lay, housing program administrator for Santa Clarita.

City Attorney Joe Montes said he received a letter from several mobile home park owners’ attorneys Monday night over “deficiencies” in the ordinance.

Lay said the city was able to meet with park owners, but could not set up meeting with park residents.

From 1990 to 2014, the CPI only exceeded five percent in two years, and the average CPI was two point six percent, according to city officials. The CPI is currently at two percent, according to McLean.

Elaine Ballace, of the mobile home rent ordinance, raised concerns about the major shortage of low income housing, “If you keep pricing people out, they will be living on benches!”

Councilman TimBen Boydston wants to create a situation that is “fair.” Boydston suggested a zero percent floor with a five percent cap on rent increases for mobile home parks with additional increases for improvements and a fair rate of return.

Councilman Dante Acosta was also in favor of a zero percent floor but raised concerns that if park owners don’t get their fair return, they could close their parks.

“We have to make sure that our residents are protected, I want to above all make sure that’s the case,” Acosta said.

Councilwoman Laurene Weste was also in favor of a zero percent floor. Weste used words like “appalling,” “horrific,” and “tragedy” on Tuesday night’s meeting to describe situation facing mobile home park renters.

“This isn’t perfect, but we’re trying to accommodate both sides,” said Weste.

Weste also went on to say that the lack of affordable housing in the United States is “appalling.”

McLean said she is concerned that the zero percent floor could actually end up costing residents more if park owners seek other increases but ended voting in favor.

“I wish that there was a way that we could just make everybody happy but I don’t think we’re going to do that,” McLean said.

Kellar shared concerns that the zero percent floor was “unrealistic” and cautioned against challenging free enterprise, “it’s a slippery slope… and it’s called socialism.”

“This is just a tragedy and I think the most we can do for you is try and make it better… This isn’t perfect, but we’re trying to accommodate both sides,” said Weste.

At the February 24 meeting, Council planned reduce the minimum amount of the standard adjustment from three percent to two point six percent and to reduce the maximum amount from six percent to five percent.

The revised mobile home ordinance will be back on the agenda at the next City Council meeting planned for Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers.