About 30 families still residing in the mobile home park Silver Court, located in Little Havana in Miami, appeared before the city commissioners this Thursday to demand more financial support before the evictions begin, as reported by Telemundo 51.
The deadline to vacate the complex is September 30, leaving only six days to find a solution to the problem.
Neighbors report that the available relocation assistance—estimated at about $10,000—is completely inadequate to tackle the rental market in Miami, where the average rent exceeds $3,285 per month.
"That's a shame because everything is expensive nowadays," stated Elvin Arévalo, one of the affected residents.
The situation is worsening because the economic incentives that the owner initially offered to encourage voluntary departure have completely vanished.
At one point, the company 1989 Sunny Court LLC offered up to $10,000 to those who left before May 31, then $5,000 until mid-July, and $2,500 until the end of August.
"Has been reduced to zero, there is no longer any reason to leave," stated resident José Madera.
About 85% of the residents have already left the complex since the company announced the closure in March, posting notices on the residents' doors without prior warning.
"We are clear that we do not own the land, but they should have had a little more awareness and informed us in advance; instead, they caught us off guard without warning," Arévalo lamented.
The park, which is approximately 65 years old and located near Calle Ocho, originally housed over 200 families, mostly elderly individuals, retirees, and low-income Cuban and Latino immigrants.
The anguish among those who remain is palpable.
«We are very anxious, we have nowhere to go because the truth is that life is very tough and many people are sick,» said Rosa Ventura, another resident of the complex.
The commissioner Ralph Rosado, who represents the area, committed to managing an increase in the relocation resources available for those affected.
However, the City of Miami warned that any modification to the assistance plan requires state approval and cannot be implemented immediately.
The case also has an open judicial front. The 30 families remaining in Silver Court have legal representation and have a hearing scheduled for October 6, where they seek to halt the eviction through a court order.
A Miami-Dade judge has already rejected the owner's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, allowing the process to continue.
The owner, for his part, maintains that the relocation process has been carried out in accordance with the requirements set by law.
Among the most vulnerable cases is that of Teresa Álvarez Montero, a 93-year-old woman who lives alone in the park and whose situation has sparked a community solidarity campaign since April.
"We have a case on October 6 to stop the eviction, and we are more united than ever," Madera concluded.
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