Residents of Johnson Mobile Home Park in Siler City have agreed to a deal with a company that recently bought the mobile home park to provide the residents with relocation assistance.
The park residents had taken their case before Chatham County Commissioners at a meeting earlier this month and the News & Observer highlighted some of the families in a recent article. Earlier this week, officials announced that each mobile home unit would be offered $8,300 if they relocate.
The situation came about after Mountaire Farms took over a chicken processing plant that had previously been one of the largest employers in Chatham County. The plant closed in 2011. Mountaire took over the operations and received incentives toward the goal of creating more than 1,000 jobs at the plant. The company purchased the mobile home park in order to accommodate anticipated future expansion.
The company had previously told residents they could stay on the property rent-free but had to be off of the property by May 7. But as part of the new agreement, that timeline has been extended until July 31.
Company officials said in a release that the offer had been accepted by the Hispanic Liaison on behalf of the residents and that work would continue “with all affected residents, and their representative to ensure the monies are distributed in an efficient way to all parties.”
Orange County elected officials have been working with residents at several mobile home parks across the county which have been facing similar situations in recent months as some developers and landowners have begun to work toward redeveloping the properties.
Photo via El Vinculo Hispano
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