BILLINGS - People in a Billings neighborhood are struggling to find new places to live. On May 1st the residents in North Park Village, that's 32 trailer homes, got eviction notices. They had to be out in 30 days, management was selling the property. Two weeks later, Shauna Trumble, a single mother of four, is scrambling to find a place for her and her children. Shauna says, "I've done housing meetings, looking through the paper, I've been packing. Trying to explain to my kids that there will always be a home, they don't understand why their neighborhood's being torn apart."
The residents here say the park didn't use to look this bad, but just a few days ago contractors came in and started removing the trailers that had been vacated; leaving behind a mess. "They left all the gas lines, out here. there's sewage, a dead cat. Trash everywhere, glass; our kids play out here." says Shauna.
Sharon Kenneson, another resident, says, "I payed my rent, they came out and took my swamp cooler." Mike Eastman, owner of the management company BP Asset, says they had to remove the coolers because some were being stolen. All types of people live here; families, single parents and grand parents. They all say they feel like a community. Vivan Iekel says, "We are not trailer trash. We care about the kids here. And we are being pushed out of a place that we call home."
Management has offered some solutions, other properties they own that have vacancies, help from family services. But to these folks there always seems to be a catch. "I'm mad, I feel lost, I feel really lost." says Shauna. So until June 1st they'll be searching and saying goodbyes. Shauna will be looking for a home that can accommodate her and her 4 children, on an income of 1200 dollars a month. Eastman, with BP Asset, says according to Montana landlord law, they only have to give 30 days notice of eviction.