omha, inc
Articles of Incorporation
Oceanside Manufactured Homeowners Alliance, Inc. (OMHA) is a nonprofit public benefit corporation and is not organized for the private gain of any person. It is organized under the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law for public purposes.
Purpose: This corporation is organized and operated exclusively for Social Welfare purposes within the meaning of 501 (c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code.
History of OMHA:
Most Manufactured Home Parks were built in the 1970s. Often times the park was owned by a family. That family sometimes managed the park and lived there along with the homeowners. A relationship was built between the park owner and the homeowner. Over the years, the business of manufactured home parks changed. The family-owned parks were being bought by corporations (LLCs). They had no relationship with the homeowners, and often times the property was not well maintained.
OMHA was very active during the 1980-90s as a representer of the homeowners in various issues that were brought to Oceanside city council.
In 1996, Melba Bishop, the Director of Housing for the City of Oceanside, with help from OMHA’s volunteers, established 16B – Oceanside’s Rent Control Ordinance.
In the following years park owners have made many attempts to abolish the Ordinance and Rent Control. In 1962 OMHA and GSMOL, and the homeowners again defeated the park owners attempts. In 2003 the park owners tried to change the CPI rent increase from 75% to 100%. They have many members in WMA (park owners association), more money than homeowners, and a necessity to show a profit to investors.
Melba Bishop and Tim Sheahan (Former GSMOL President) encouraged OMHA to become more active in the endeavor to keep rent control safe. For that purpose, OMHA incorporated on July 30, 2004 with the mission to unite and educate the homeowners who live in the Manufactured homes in Oceanside.
In 2011, the biggest fight came when the then-majority of the Oceanside City Council passed an ordinance to begin “Vacancy Decontrol”. That ordinance said: when a manufactured home sold – rent control would be suspended and rent could increase without limit.
OMHA, GSMOL and many volunteers organized a referendum petition drive to collect signatures to stop that ordinance. Over 15,000 signatures were collected – almost twice what was needed. The City Council, by state law, could reverse their ordinance or put it on the ballot. They put it on the ballot, which cost the city $250,000. The park owners spent over $400,000. The homeowners raised $45,000. It was David vs Goliath. Yet the homeowners (David) won!!
However, the fight continues. OMHA constantly brings these issues to the attention to Oceanside’s City council, the Housing Commission and the Fair Practices Commission.
The moral of this story? Homeowners must stay vigilant. We have to support the organizations that support us and keep us aware of the issues in this ongoing battle. When a problem arises, we must all do our part to protect the investment in our homes and in our way of life.