The Oct. 1 deadline is tomorrow and several residents, including children, still need housing before the Franklin Manor Mobile Home Park closes.
Residents were notified in April that the mobile home park on North Atherton Street in Patton Township is closing.
Roughly 18 families have relocated, some moving outside of the State College area to places like Port Matilda and Bellefonte. However, seven families are still in limbo.
Housing Transitions Executive Director Ron Quinn says his agency continues to work with the remaining residents to secure new housing. While the agency has some possible leads, Quinn says nothing is concrete yet.
“I know we’re down to the final hours and we’re still hopeful some things will fall into place here and we’re working toward that,” says Quinn.
The remaining tenants have a number of needs. First, the families say they cannot afford the expense involved with moving, such as first and last month’s rent and a security deposit along with the spike in rent each month.
Secondly, many of the families have pets, which restricts their housing options and, when available, it often equates to higher rent and security deposits.
Additionally, their children attend schools in the State College Area School District and ideally parents want to see the children remain in their current schools.
Finally, the residents work in State College, so moving outside of the area for more affordable housing creates transportation issues.
“It’s complex in many areas, but we’re not going to stop working until we have some issues resolved,” Quinn says.
Quinn says the agency may reach out to the property owners and request an extension.
Property co-owner Ed Temple notified residents in April the mobile home park is closing. He has since passed away. Joan Ferguson, a co-owner of the site, recently told StateCollege.com it may be a couple of months before they can publicly share plans for the site.
“We’ve still got a lot to sort out,” Ferguson says.
RELATED STORIES
Families Still Need Homes as Franklin Manor Closure Approaches, ‘We Are the Forgotten People’
