San Jose mobile home park will be preserved
Owners of Westwinds will replace operators, say no plans to redevelop
After two years in housing limbo, residents of the Bay Area's largest mobile home park have a promise of long-term security for their community.
The property owners of Westwinds Mobile Home Park in San Jose announced March 14 a new management plan aimed at preserving the community and preventing the displacement of 1,600 residents.
The owners, Nicholson Family Partnership, said they will replace the current operators and have no intention of removing residents in the park's 723 manufactured homes.
Westwinds residents have been in limbo since January 2020 when management company MHC sent letters warning the community they could be asked to leave by August 2022. In an odd twist, the Nicholson family then denied they were seeking evictions, and MHC is suing the family partnership in Santa Clara County Superior Court.
Craig Nicholson, speaking for his family, said an agreement with new, local park operators was being finalized and is expected to last for decades. He declined to identify the new operators or terms of the proposal.
“There's no desire to displace anybody,” Nicholson said in an interview. “Our goal for the residents is that there is safe and secure housing.”
He added that the family “didn't have any plans to redevelop the property at this time.”
An MHC spokesperson disputed Nicholson's account.
“The Nicholsons' public assurances are contradicted by the positions they have taken in a secret legal proceeding that they filed,” the company said in a statement. The family partnership has asserted in sealed court documents that “Westwinds residents are `encumbrances'
and should be removed from the community,” according to MHC.
Bay Area mobile home parks have long been appealing to investors and developers. The region's high land values make replacing the affordable housing with market-rate residential and commercial projects financially enticing. Many smaller, familyowned parks have sold to outside investors, who then raise rents and fees.
The new Westwinds operator
will replace MHC after MHC'S contract with the Nicholson Family Partnership expires Aug. 22.
The move brings some security for Westwinds residents, who will be able to remain in the community. The North San Jose park, assessed at $12.8 million but worth perhaps $500 million on the open market, is a ripe target for redevelopment.
Westwinds resident Jim Canova welcomed the news. Families have been worried about the park's future for two years, he said. Many have been unsure of whether to stay or make long-term investments in their homes amid the uncertainty.
“For the community as a whole, I think there will be a sense of relief,” said Canova. “They need a sense of relief.”
Canova is part of a small group seeking to drum up support for residents to buy the property and turn it into a cooperative. Nicholson said the family has not been contacted about the proposal.
The dispute between the owners and management became public in January 2020 when MHC sued the Nicholson Family Partnership and claimed the property owners wanted to evict residents by the end of the management contract. The family denied the charges, and the suit remains active.
State and city leaders have looked to preserve affordable housing in the Bay Area. The San Jose City Council in March 2020 passed additional protections for mobile home park residents, requiring additional public hearings and city approval for large redevelopments.
Two parks, Westwinds and Mountain Springs, were seen as especially vulnerable to being converted into new commercial or residential projects. The Nicholson family opposed San Jose's decision to restrict redevelopment on their property.
About 35,000 San Jose residents live in mobile home parks across the city.
The Nicholson family has owned the property for generations. It partnered with a mobile home park developer and operator in the 1970s and has leased the property for 50 years.
The family retains ownership of the land, but the community was developed and operated independently.
Nicholson said he hopes for a smooth transition to a new park operator. The company will abide by city rent control laws and assess the property for infrastructure needs.
“We've always said the residents are a key concern,” he said. “We don't want the residents to worry.”