The clock is ticking for families at Chatham Estates, a long‑standing mobile‑home park just outside downtown Cary, where residents say a six‑month vacancy notice issued in January has set a mid‑year deadline many simply cannot meet. Seniors and working households who pay about $400 a month for their lots are staring down replacement rents and moving costs that could run to three times that amount, and some expect to walk away from trailers they have called home for decades. Daily construction noise and a fresh crop of “we buy mobile homes” signs have turned what once felt like a distant worry into a near‑constant reminder that time is running out.
According to ABC11, residents received the January notice giving them six months to vacate and have been scrambling ever since to line up new housing. Ann and Steve Curlee, who said they have lived at Chatham Estates since 1988 and currently pay about $400 a month, told ABC11 they expect a comparable apartment to run around $1,200, a jump they say their budget simply cannot handle. Neighbor David Perez warned that if he cannot cover both moving and lot costs, he will “probably just lose the trailer.”
Town and nonprofits mobilize limited relocation aid
The town has carved out a pot of money to soften the blow, with Cary pledging $800,000 in seed funding for relocation assistance that will be managed by local nonprofits as residents prepare to move. That effort is part of the town’s broader displacement response, and officials say NeighborUp (formerly Dorcas Ministries) and partner groups will handle casework and direct reimbursements for eligible households. Counselors have been going door to door inside the park, walking families through applications and paperwork as the deadline draws closer.
Developer plans and residents demand Toll Brothers help
A pre‑application and development plan filed in March 2025 lays out a by‑right proposal for roughly 330 multifamily units and 97 townhomes on the Chatham Estates parcel, according to coverage by The Line. Town staff say the project has been moving through a multi‑stage review, with a sale expected to close in mid‑2026.
At a recent neighborhood gathering, residents pressed the incoming developer to cover most moving and buyout costs, floating a total request of roughly $2 million. ABC11 reports that as of its latest coverage, the developer had not publicly committed any funds.
Why moving a trailer can be more complicated than it sounds
Professional moving and setup for manufactured homes can run into the thousands of dollars, and advocates say many older units at Chatham Estates are simply not in shape to be hauled across town. That leaves residents weighing a grim choice between abandoning their property or paying relocation bills that quickly balloon past what many fixed‑income households can manage.
WRAL has reported on the community’s long history and the listing that put the park on the market, while residents and town documents note that the site contains roughly 144 mobile‑home spaces now slated for redevelopment. Even with reimbursements available, advocates warn that the town’s $800,000 seed money will not stretch far if most households need full‑service moves and setup.
What’s next for neighbors and the timeline
NeighborUp and partner nonprofits are continuing door‑to‑door outreach and individualized case management while residents push both the developer and town leaders for clearer, firmer commitments. The Line reports that Toll Brothers’ team has met with NeighborUp to “explore opportunities” to support displaced neighbors, but no concrete contribution had been announced.
With application windows open and a mid‑2026 closing on the horizon, advocates say the next stretch will determine whether families leave with some financial cushioning or lose both their homes and much of their savings.
How to help
NeighborUp has created a Chatham Estates donation page and is coordinating gift‑card and cash support for families who need immediate help with moving costs and basic necessities. Volunteers and community groups have also launched targeted fundraisers to fill gaps. NeighborUp’s site outlines ways to give and how residents can apply for case management and relocation reimbursements.
As the mid‑2026 deadline approaches, residents, nonprofits and town staff are racing to turn pledged dollars into actual moves, hoping to keep as many long‑time neighbors as possible from losing both their homes and the tight‑knit community they have built at Chatham Estates.
