The Sanford City Council largely voiced support of a rent stabilization ordinance for mobile home lots Tuesday as residents shared their stories at a public hearing on the proposal.

The ordinance came before councilors several months after they instituted a mobile home rent moratorium that’s set to expire at the end of May.

Several residents of Sanford parks spoke about major rent increases on the land they rent beneath mobile homes they own, with some describing their struggles to make ends meet as costs rise. Many said they are retirees who rely on Social Security and have fixed incomes.

“I intended to retire here and be happy, and not have to dig in to the few savings that I have, or else I’m gonna be living in my car if this continues,” said Janet Floyd, a resident of Pinewood Park.

Floyd said her rent used to increase by $35 a month each year. But over the past few years, that’s gone up to an extra $75 per month — and she felt she had no option other than to bear the added cost.

The proposed ordinance would restrict how much and how often property owners can raise rent without hearings in front of a new Rent Stabilization Board.

If the ordinance is enacted, rents could only be raised once in a 12-month period. Also, any increase above a certain threshold would trigger a hearing in front of the board. That threshold is based on the Consumer Price Index and the current rent.

That board would be made up of five members, nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council. To avoid conflicts of interest, no one on the board will be a mobile home resident or mobile home property owner, City Manager Steven Buck said.

Most council members spoke in favor of the ordinance Tuesday night.

Councilor Jonathan Martell was the only member to speak against the proposal. Martell said he sympathizes with residents who fear unaffordable increases but warned that rent stabilization of any kind could be a “slippery slope.”

Buck said the ordinance was drafted based on a model offered by the state Legislature.

“I wrote it from the perspective that you can’t just take from a park owner, but at the same time, where’s the balance in how much profit is too much profit, and how does that impact the people that are living there?” Buck said. “They can’t just pick up and move. They can’t just go somewhere else.”

Last September, the city issued a moratorium on rent increases at mobile home parks in response to concerns from residents of Marsh Brook Estates who said their rent had doubled. The moratorium was later extended until May 31.

Sanford isn’t the only York County city weighing a mobile home rent stabilization ordinance. Arundel residents will vote at June’s town meeting whether to approve a similar proposal that has been championed for months by residents of Shady Oaks.

In recent years, many Maine mobile home residents have expressed their inability to keep up with the rising costs, often after their parks are bought by out-of-state private equity firms. In response, some homeowners have resorted to teaming up with their neighbors and buying back the park themselves; in other cases, they have advocated for rent stabilization or moratoriums.

In a written statement Wednesday, Buck said “(city officials) appreciate the strong public engagement and thoughtful input received during the hearing process.”

The council plans to vote on the final language of the ordinance during its May 19 meeting, scheduled to start at 6 p.m. in Sanford City Hall. If the ordinance is approved at that point, it would take effect before the current moratorium expires.