But inside the 86-unit park, tenants are missing rent payments and wondering when evictions will resume.
Outside her family s mobile home, longtime resident Kara Gomez said she hasn t seen an eviction notice in months. That s a surprise, since they usually go up like clockwork on the third. (Gomez s own mother-in-law was evicted from the park in 2018.)
Recent months have been hectic for Gomez and her family. Life doesn t stop when you have six kids, she said. Her 1-year-old has Down syndrome, which means regular medical appointments, in addition to picking up food at her son s school and trying to keep her five other kids education on track.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT-Billionaires Stephen Schwarzman and Sam Zell must love Gov. Gavin Newsom, political consultant Ace Smith, and the California Apartment Association right now.
After all, Newsom, Smith, and the CAA were key players in killing two rent control ballot measures in California that Schwarzman, Zell, and other real estate heavyweights spent a staggering $163.5 million in campaign cash to stop.
Ace Smith, in particular, profited from doing Big Real Estate’s dirty work. Smith’s consulting firm raked in $105,000 for stopping Prop 10 in 2018 and $140,000 for defeating Prop 21 in 2020. Smith (pictured above) usually represents Democratic candidates, but with both measures he chose to work for real estate executives who are major contributors to Donald Trump and have awful reputations among housing justice activists.
Newsom lobbying ban won t immediately affect French Laundry dining partner Jason Kinney
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Gov. Gavin Newsom removes his face mask before a news conference in Pittsburg on June 30.Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press
SACRAMENTO The lobbying ban that Gov. Gavin Newsom adopted last week for his political consultants does not include the type of “revolving door” prohibition that is standard in government service, allowing his advisers to return to lobbying his administration as soon as he stops paying them.
That appears to be the case for Jason Kinney, the lobbyist and longtime adviser to Newsom, whose attendance at a 50th birthday dinner for Kinney last month at the French Laundry sparked criticism over his close ties to consultants who also work for corporate clients and other influential interests at the state Capitol.
The quick turn of events early on in 2020 threw the real estate community and the rest of the world for a loop. Many of the year’s biggest real estate stories that affected investors most were in relation to ongoing changes due to the coronavirus pandemic. Still, standalone developments from Airbnb, WeWork and Vacasa also made an impact this year.
From a glance in the rear view window, here’s a look at the hottest topics in Property Portfolio from 2020.
The vacation rental market’s comeback
Jacob Bentzinger / Unsplash
Early spring was a tenuous time at best for the vacation rental market. Amid the uncertainty of a rapidly spreading pandemic and statewide stay-at-home orders, travelers were cancelling reservations and hunkering down at home. As a result, companies like Airbnb and Vacasa initiated cost-saving measures like severely reducing executive salaries and furloughing employees. But, by the time late spring rolled around and people started craving more time outside
Newsom bans advisers from lobbying as criticism mounts of ties to interest group consultants
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Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced a lobbying ban for his paid political advisers after criticism.Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press
SACRAMENTO Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced a lobbying ban for his paid political advisers, after weeks of criticism over his close ties to consultants who also work for corporate clients and other influential interests at the state Capitol.
In a memo shared by the governor’s office, Newsom’s chief of staff, Ann O’Leary, announced a new ethics policy Friday barring any of his paid campaign or political consultants from directly lobbying the governor, his staff or state agencies under his control. Newsom also committed to not hiring any registered lobbyists as paid consultants.