The residents of Li’l Abner mobile home park in Sweetwater are confronting an impending eviction after a court denied their appeal to halt the process. This legal outcome has sparked frustration and despair among the nearly 900 individuals, including some Cubans, still residing there. Last Tuesday, the tenants received the final eviction notice, leading to protests that night as they pleaded not to be forced from their homes. "I am not leaving; I will stay here until the very end," one affected resident told Univisión.
A Prolonged Struggle
Since November 2024, when the announcement came that a development company had purchased the park, residents have been engaged in a legal battle to prevent their removal. Although tiered financial compensations were offered—$14,000 until January, $7,000 until March, and $3,000 until April—those who remained past May 19, 2025, received no assistance. Many families turned down the offer, arguing the amounts were insufficient to find new housing in Miami's expensive market, and pointed out their trailers were too old to relocate.
Development vs. Displacement
Approximately 200 families have stayed put despite increasing hardships, such as thefts, vandalism, power outages, and demolitions conducted without adhering to environmental safety standards. The land, which once housed over 5,000 people, is set to be transformed into a worker housing project complete with a community center, medical services, and recreational areas. Its prime location—near FIU, Miami Dade College, and shopping centers—makes it highly desirable to developers in a county plagued by a severe affordable housing crisis.
For the families still holding on, eviction means more than losing a roof over their heads; it signifies the dissolution of a community built over decades. As bulldozers move in and the future of the area is reshaped, residents face an immediate fear: having nowhere to turn in a South Florida that grows increasingly unaffordable for those with lower incomes.
Key Questions About the Sweetwater Mobile Home Park Eviction
What triggered the eviction of Li’l Abner mobile home park residents?
The eviction was triggered by a court decision that denied the residents' appeal to stop the process, following the purchase of the park by a development company.
Why did many families reject the compensation offers?
Families found the compensation offers insufficient to relocate within Miami's costly housing market and were unable to move their older trailers.
What is planned for the land currently occupied by the mobile home park?
The land will be developed into a worker housing project with amenities such as a community center, medical services, and recreational areas.