Residents of a low-income trailer park in South Florida are being forced to leave after city officials made a deal to sell the land to developers.
City officials are working to close a $6.8 million sale, and part of the deal is all trailers, campers, recreational vehicles and their occupants have to be gone.
“The deal can’t close until the campsite is empty,” said Mayor Otis Wallace, who’s been mayor of Florida City since 1984.
Many of the residents are elderly and have physical and mental health problems that make it difficult to work. Florida City is one of Florida's poorest municipalities.
The mayor said the city has been telling residents to make other living arrangements since 2019.
“I’m very sympathetic to the campers, but as the mayor of Florida City, I’m sympathetic to the taxpayers, too,” Wallace said.
It's been seven months since that meeting, and much longer than the three months he initially gave. The city sent out letters to get the residents’ attention that the city was serious about moving forward with the sale, Wallace said.
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