Cary mobile home park faces potential closure, 700 residents at risk

Neighbors at Chatham Estates Mobile Home Park, located off East Chatham Street near downtown Cary, assembled in late December after reports circulated that the property might close and residents could receive eviction notices as early as December 29 with six months to relocate. The park, home to roughly 700 residents, has been on the market for more than two years and is listed by Lee & Associates, which declined to comment. Representatives for the owner did not respond to voicemail.

Fears intensified after residents noticed that the park pavilion and playground had recently been removed, a change many interpreted as preparation for sale and redevelopment. Residents said they pay about $400 a month for their lots. That figure stands in stark contrast to Cary market rents, which are far higher according to the Zillow median rent data cited in reporting, and helps explain why long term residents say they could not afford alternatives in town.

Practical barriers to relocation compound the financial strain. Some mobile homes are too old or fragile to be moved without falling apart. When moving is possible, costs can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, a sum that would be out of reach for many families. Organizers and resident advocates, including leaders with the N.C. Congress of Latino Organizations, have been meeting with families to explore options and to press for buyer commitments to fund relocation assistance.

The situation has highlighted municipal programs designed to reduce displacement. Cary previously allocated funds for displacement assistance through initiatives such as Stable Homes Cary and NeighborUp, and the town said it plans additional appropriations in coming years. Residents note precedents in which organized communities secured relocation funds from new owners after sales, and they want to meet prospective buyers to negotiate similar protections, especially for elderly and long term residents who may be unable to move their homes.

Beyond the immediate human impact, the potential closure has implications for Wake County housing supply and local labor markets. Losing one of the few lower cost mobile home communities in Cary would further shrink affordable housing options in a market where median rents are significantly higher, increasing the risk of displacement to more distant parts of the county or to housing insecurity.

For now residents and advocates continue organizing, seeking meetings with prospective buyers and engaging town officials about available assistance. The timeline and the absence of formal notices left families grappling with uncertainty during the holiday period, and the outcome will shape affordability and neighborhood continuity in Cary in the months ahead.