Cary mobile-home tenants fear displacement. Could this plan help?
Nearly a year ago, residents of one of Cary’s last mobile home parks sounded the alarm on what might happen to them if the owner sold the property.
Most of the over 200 people in the Chatham Estates Mobile Home Park are immigrants, working class, and seniors who have made the tight-knit community their home for generations.
Rent on the 130 mobile homes behind Chatham Square at SE Maynard Road and East Chatham Street costs $400 a month.
While the park hasn’t been sold yet, residents believe it’s inevitable. Over 100 residents and their advocates packed a Cary Town Council meeting Thursday night to support a plan they say could help.
‘Something to call our own’
A 10-year mobile home park resident, Maggie Regules, spoke in Spanish through an interpreter, reminding leaders that the residents are all contributing to the town’s growth and success.
She is a health care worker at a local organization supporting the Latino community. She’s also the mother of two sons, one a student at Cary High, the other a local restaurant employee.
“When my children and I moved to Chatham Estates, we were so happy to finally have a home and something to call our own,” Regules said. “Despite all the challenges of being a single mom, so far I have been able to provide for my children, but that’s because I’ve been given the opportunity to have rent that I could afford on my own.”
Advocates say teachers, firefighters, construction, retail and fast-food workers have found it increasingly difficult to live in Cary. Since 2010, the town has added about 20,000 jobs in those fields but lost about 4,000 housing units that cost under $1,000 a month to rent, according to the town’s Housing Plan.
On average, renters pay about $1,500 monthly in Cary, according to U.S. Census data.
“Now, we have to uproot our children. We have to get them out of school, pull them away from the churches, jobs, and from our community,” Regules said. “This situation has caused us great concern.”
Mary Kintz, a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and a member of ONE Wake, told the council that the town is “made better” by having Chatham Estates residents in town.
“We don’t want them to leave. Their work matters to us. Their children belong in our schools. They are our future, too,” she said.
What does Cary have planned?
During an October ONE Wake forum, Cary Town Council candidates promised to help residents find affordable housing options in the growing town.
“Stable Homes Cary,” a new initiative Cary has proposed, would immediately help by creating resources that residents can draw from.
Dorcas Ministries, a Cary nonprofit that provides financial and food assistance, and the town could enter into a partnership to help Chatham Estates residents fill gaps not covered by the Wake County Department of Social Services.
Dorcas helps the town with its Oasis program, which helps pay utility bills, and the Pay-It-Forward program, which helps residents participate in parks and recreation programs.
In the new partnership, Dorcas would provide emergency housing assistance, case management, referrals, and displacement support. Cary would provide $500,000 this year, $550,000 next year, and $600,000 in 2026 using money already budgeted for housing purposes.
The town could also add another $500,000 to $800,000 for displacement services.
“Once residents have received written notice that the park is closing, there’s a real chaotic period where often, families who are working jobs and taking care of kids, are suddenly burdened with an incredible amount of logistical challenges,” said Devin Ross, a ONE Wake organizer.
Moving a mobile home can cost up to $20,000.
Kents said the investment was “encouraging.”
“Especially since it comes with a new structure and program that could attract additional investment that would help make residents of Chatham Estates whole,” she said.
The Town Council will vote on the initiative March 14.
“Truly, without your support, it will be almost impossible for many of us to relocate,” Regulas said.
Mayor Harold Weinbrecht thanked the residents for attending the meeting.
This story was originally published February 8, 2024 at 3:29 PM.