Chatham Estates families relocate to meet eviction deadline after property sold to developer

CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- One of Cary's last remaining clusters of affordable housing is emptying out as the remaining families of Chatham Estates prepare to leave the mobile home park, which is slated for redevelopment into a luxury project.

Just minutes from downtown, Chatham Estates has long served as a lowercost housing option. But tenants, homeowners received eviction notices in December 2025, giving them until the end of June 2026 to move.

Development on the site is expected to begin in 2027.

One person told ABC11 that watching neighbors depart has been difficult, answering in Spanish, "Yes, because we're all used to this community."

Nonprofit NeighborUp has been working with families to secure new housing. Shelley Hobbs, the group's vice president of communications and strategy, said the organization has supported a range of transitions.

"We have helped folks move into new apartments ... move their actual mobile homes to new locations," Hobbs said. "We've helped a number of families purchase homes for the first time, which is so exciting."

Hobbs said about half of the families they have assisted have been able to remain in the Cary area. "Several of them who aren't in Cary are still very close, kind of within some of the neighboring towns," she said.

Relocating a mobile home can cost thousands of dollars, creating significant barriers for many residents. Hobbs said NeighborUp has helped more than 70 families move and continues working with those still at Chatham Estates.

"A number of them were able to relocate without assistance from NeighborUp," she said. "The families that are still there, we're actively working with them right now and feel confident that everyone will be moved into their new homes and places by the end of June."

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