On May 19, residents of Ferndale Mobile Home Park held a press conference to speak publicly about the sudden displacement of dozens of working-class families after their mobile home park was purchased by a local developer.
Tenants also announced the launch of what organizers believe is the first tenant union in North Charleston, representing more than 50% of the occupied lots at the time of the property's sale and nearly 100% of the remaining residents. The tenant union is demanding more time to vacate, relocation assistance, and a halt to eviction filings.
Tenants received notice on 3/25/26 that the property had been sold and that residents would need to vacate their homes by 5/31/26. Many residents have lived in the park for decades and report not being able to afford the high costs of moving manufactured homes, securing new housing, and relocating families, elders, and disabled residents.
“I work full time and have been doing everything I can to keep us afloat while my partner recovers from a recent surgery. Right now, we do not have the money it takes to move our home. And the reality is this: if we cannot move it, our home will likely be demolished,” said Cherolina Snyder, a resident.
Residents say the crisis extends beyond housing loss. Ferndale has long been a close-knit community where neighbors have supported one another through childcare, rides to work, illness, emergencies, cookouts, and daily life. Many residents have lived in the park for years and now face uncertainty about where they will go next amid South Carolina’s ongoing affordable housing crisis.
“I own my mobile home," said resident Bruce Ford, an employee at North Charleston Elementary School. "For 15 years, I believed this would be my forever home. Now instead of enjoying the home I worked hard for, I am scrambling to try to save it from being destroyed. We are demanding more time and real relocation support because homeowners like me should not lose everything simply because a property was sold."
With support from South Carolina Tenant Union, tenants have organized together to form the Ferndale Mobile Home Tenant Union to demand more time, more relocation support, and dignity during the relocation process from the new landowner, New Tide LLC.