The Santa Clarita City Council imposed a 45-day moratorium Tuesday on senior mobile home park conversions.

Owners of mobile home parks can’t convert them from seniors-only to all-ages while the moratorium is in effect.

According to a city staff report, there is a lack of senior housing options in and around the city of Santa Clarita that will only increase with the aging population of the community. Mobile home parks represent one of a few affordable housing options left to senior citizens that permit exclusive residence in a detached dwelling by those individuals over the age of 55 years.

There are 16 mobile home parks in Santa Clarita with four operating as senior mobile home parks.

According to the report, The moratorium will give the city time to study the issue of senior housing and determine if senior mobile home parks would satisfy the requirements of the law to be regulated permanently as senior housing. The moratorium period may be extended by ordinance of the City Council after a public hearing at the end of the 45-days.

City staff will draft and propose a new ordinance after determining whether a permanent ban on mobile home conversions would be compliant with new state law.

In other action, the council voted to name the cross-valley connect “Santa Clarita Veterans Parkway” in honor of the 10,000 servicemen and women who live here in Santa Clarita. The roadway colloquially known as the cross-valley connector is actually an 8.5-mile stretch of Newhall Ranch Road and Golden Valley Road. For jurisdictional reasons relating to rights of way, the state Legislature will also need to approve the name.

The council also approved a staff recommendation for the distribution of $155,000 in arts and community service grants to 28 local agencies. For the complete list of awardees, [click here].