More than 50 people living in a mobile home park in Summerside have been given just over a month to determine if they can come up with the thousands of dollars needed to buy their land. Otherwise, they’ll need to vacate and move their home elsewhere.
“It’s terrifying in a housing crisis not knowing what is going on,” said Stephanie Harris.
She remembers growing up in Evergreen Village. When it was time for her to start her own family, she moved right back to the mobile home park that she loved.
Harris has been there for 10 years now. Her kids have friends in the park, and they have built a community.
Stephanie Harris, left, and Reasha Walsh received a notice last week from their landlord saying that Evergreen Village will need to be sold. (Sheehan Desjardins/CBC)
But last week she received a notice from her landlord.
“Unfortunately, due to rising costs and limited revenue, Evergreen Village will need to be sold,” it read.
Harris panicked and immediately started messaging her neighbours.
“Not everybody had [the notice] at this point,” she said. “We were one of the first, so everyone was trying to figure out what was going on.”
Buy the land or move
The note left the 50 households in the area with two options:
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Half of the residents purchase their land for $40,000 each and form a condo co-operative.
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All residents relocate their homes within one year.
The residents have until Oct. 31 to decide.
“We’ve got everything from dual-income families to stay-at-home moms to people on disabilities to seniors, widowers, everything,” said Reasha Walsh, who has lived in the park with her family for 12 years.
“Not everybody’s going to be in a position to be able to afford $40,000-plus … so we’re just trying to figure out what everybody can do.”
Looking for a solution
The park’s landlord, Clifford McQuaid, did not want to do an interview, but told CBC News he wants to work with the residents to find a solution.
So does the City of Summerside.
“My heart goes out to folks who received that notice,” said Mayor Dan Kutcher.
“That is a very short period of time for people to figure out, especially in today’s climate, whether they’re going to either be able to relocate their home or to find another home.”
Summerside Mayor Dan Kutcher and other city officials plan to meet with the residents of the park on Monday. (Tony Davis/CBC)
Summerside doesn’t have any programs to promote or invest in co-op housing, and Kutcher said it’s too early to say whether the city would consider stepping in to buy Evergreen Village.
City officials are planning to meet with the residents on Monday to see what can be done.
“I need to make sure [we] get the facts on the table, look at what it is that we can do, start to investigate are there other spaces in the community and work with the residents to support them,” Kutcher said.
“You don’t want to jump to the worst-case scenario.”
‘It’s such a tricky situation’
Back at Evergreen Village, some are finding it difficult to stay positive in the midst of P.E.I.’s housing crisis and low vacancy rate.
Harris said she doesn’t mind the idea of buying her own land but knows that’s not an option for everyone.
Walsh worries some of the homes in the neighbourhood are too old to be moved, and it’s expensive to do so.
Even if everyone can be relocated, she wonders where they’ll all go — especially with at least 50 people looking at the same time.
“If we were in different sorts of economic times or had more options for housing, I think that panic would be not as harsh,” Walsh said.
“It’s such a tricky situation because it’s private land and … I don’t want [the landlord] to give up money for sure. We just want to find a solution.”
Hoping for an extension
Harris and Walsh are suggesting an increase to monthly lot fees in Evergreen Village to help with the rising costs of running the park.
In the meantime, they hope McQuaid extends the deadline to give everyone more time to decide.
“Our own family will bounce back, we’ll find a way,” Walsh said. “But there’s also fear for your neighbours and your friends, right? Like, it might not be the case for everyone.”
Harris agrees.
“I just really want them to help us find a solution that can have everybody keep their home.”