On Monday, a resident from the former Southwind Mobile Home Estates, was resting a little easier. Just a day before the park’s water was scheduled to be shut off, the court-appointed receiver for the trailer park properties, Ira Lauter, gave him some good news.
Jack Poole, who has lived in his mobile home for the past two years, was told by Lauter that as long as the rent was collected from the trailer park residents, the water bill would be paid. The city of Kewanee is currently owed more than a half a million dollars for the parks’ water bill.
Last fall, Kewanee residents began to complain about the parks’ deplorable conditions of abandoned trailers, weeds, tall grass and uncollected trash. What to do about the parks has been the topic of discussion during several council meetings and recently, city officials announced that the best course of action for the parks that include Southwind, Reecy’s and Reecy’s West, would be to condemn them and shut off the water.
In a letter dated April 15, Project Now informed residents that the date for their possible eviction could be on or around April 30 and offered assistance in relocation. That letter sent some residents scrambling to find somewhere else to live.
Staff from Project Now met with residents and passed out paperwork that Poole said was outdated. According to Poole, the agency told them that if they found a place to live, Project Now would pay for the first month’s rent and deposit.
Poole has been looking and did locate a place to live in another city, but rent was $1,400 a month, $500 more than Poole’s monthly payment from disability and retirement.
When Poole moved into his mobile home, it was in need of repairs, he said. He has spent time fixing it up and making it into a home. He has also assisted Lauter with keeping the vacant mobile homes in Southwind boarded up to prevent squatters and injuries should someone try to enter an unsafe structure.
Poole said residents he has spoken with about the city’s decision to condemn the properties have been “in an uproar.”
“We don’t have any place to go,” he said.
For many of the residents of the three trailer parks, some which own their trailers, Poole said picking up and changing locations won’t be easy, and in his case, even harder since he has pets.
“It was a relief when Ira said ‘quit worrying about it right now,’” said Poole, who has struggled with the thought of having to turn his pets over to the shelter.
Still Poole said he doesn’t believe the residents are out of the woods yet and can’t help worrying that the property could still be condemned and residents removed.
“We’re senior citizens. This has been rough,” said Poole.
