900 Sweetwater mobile home residents facing eviction as landowners plan redevelopment
MIAMI - Residents of Li'l Abner Mobile Home Park in Sweetwater have been given months to vacate their homes.
They have received notices to leave by May 2025, as the land is slated for redevelopment into rental housing.
The news affects roughly 900 mobile homes and just as many families, leaving many residents grappling with uncertainty and grief.
CBS News Miami spoke with residents, including Karina Cuba, who grew up in the park and is now faced with watching her family home of over four decades disappear.
"It really breaks my heart that my mom has to leave her home of 42 years," she said, adding that the manner of the notice felt impersonal and harsh.
Her mother, 82-year-old Nereyda Cuba, received the letter taped to her door, bearing no signature and reportedly sent by the landowners, The Urban Group.
The letter detailed a tiered relocation compensation package, offering residents $14,000 if they vacate by January 31, 2025.
Those who leave by March 31 will receive $7,000, and by April 30, $3,000. After April 30, compensation will default to the statutory minimum required by Florida law.
The deadline and compensation structure have sparked frustration among residents, many of whom have deep ties to the park.
"It's tough because this is our roof. I moved here on Thanksgiving Day in 1982," Nereyda shared tearfully.
Attempts to reach The Urban Group resulted in a written statement from its president, Matt Rosenbaum, who acknowledged the challenge for residents and expressed an understanding of the disruption such a move entails.
According to Rosenbaum, the redevelopment aims to provide affordable housing in the area, though the residents feel blindsided and unprepared.
On Wednesday evening, as news of the eviction spread, residents gathered outside the management office, demanding answers.
Sweetwater Mayor Jose "Pepe" Diaz pledged to advocate on behalf of the residents and stated he would seek a meeting with the landowners to discuss extending the timeline for relocation.
"I believe a conversation is always important to start to see if we can delay and get more time," said Diaz.
As residents continue to push for answers and explore legal options, the future of Li'l Abner Mobile Home Park remains uncertain.
Many hope for a reprieve that will allow them more time to relocate from what has long been "home sweet home."
