Many Floridians find mobile homes to be a decent, affordable way to have a second or downsized home in the Sunshine State. However, sometimes, mobile home residents do not own the land on which the home sits. They rent it via lot rent. Therefore, some are vulnerable to evictions or notices to vacate. This is what happened to some residents in South Florida.
What Happened?: In mid-November of 2024, around 900 residents of the Li’l Abner Mobile Home Park in Sweetwater, Florida (in Miami-Dade County) were notified that the park would be converting affordable housing. As a result, residents must leave by May 2025. Residents can take their homes, but they can be pricey to move.
As an incentive to vacate early, residents are being offered up to $14,000 to leave by January 2025. But some residents say this sum isn’t enough.
David Rosabal has lived in the park for 20 years. He told 6 South Florida that this news is devastating for his family, explaining, in part:
“14,000? Where’s that going to get us? Nowhere…What are we going to do?… The best we can do is live in a van, save up what we can, and do what (we) can to live.”