Thread: Immokalee migrant workers could lose their homes due to Coll

Immokalee migrant workers could lose their homes due to Collier zoning violations

Trailer park owners sue the county to allow them to continue operating

By TRACY X. MIGUEL (Contact)
6:13 p.m., Sunday, January 18, 2009



Paulo Villegas, top and neighbors Lorenzo Perez, left, brothers Alejandro, center, and Angelino, right, seasonal residents of a trailer park at the end of Alachua Street in Immokalee, wait outside of their home for a ride to the citrus fields on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009.

IMMOKALEE — Several migrant workers who live in a trailer park in Immokalee could lose their rental homes because of Collier County zoning violations.

The 34 units, some of which are more than 50 years old, are in an unpaved trailer park. Some are older, frame-built homes and others are manufactured trailer homes.

Jerry and Kimberlea Blocker own the trailer park and filed a civil lawsuit against Collier County in order to continue operating it. They say their rentals are not uninhabitable and date back to the 1940s, long before many of Collier’s zoning laws regarding trailer parks were enacted.

The Blockers purchased the property, called “Shell Trailer Parkâ€

If these are legal temporary migrant workers, their employer(s) should be held responsible for providing safe and adequate housing at no cost to the worker (they are paying these people a wage that is barely livable to begin with). If they are illegal, they need to leave the country immediately.

We have plenty of foreign worker visa programs to fill their "need" for cheap slave labor.

I am horrified that this country continues to allow both legal and illegal foreigners to drive American citizens out of their homes and communities by indiscriminately giving away our jobs, and by allowing them to attain home ownership that keeps them here. These are rights and privileges that should only be bestowed upon American citizens.

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Elebia Mateo, 28, has lived with her family in one of the trailers for seven years. She said in Spanish she couldn’t imagine losing the 2-bedroom trailer. She shares the trailer with her seven children. Mateo pays $75 per week in rent.

Our Congress, Senate, Government, and ignorant people are into the enslavement of these illegals.

If these are legal temporary migrant workers, their employer(s) should be held responsible for providing safe and adequate housing at no cost to the worker (they are paying these people a wage that is barely livable to begin with). If they are illegal, they need to leave the country immediately

You are absolutely correct. Legal immigrants shpould be treated fairly--employers should not be allowed to hire illegals. Employers should also have to provide decent circumstances for their legal temporary workers. The reason they don't is because our government lets them pass on all the costs of education,. health, etc to you and me.

Originally Posted by misterbill

If these are legal temporary migrant workers, their employer(s) should be held responsible for providing safe and adequate housing at no cost to the worker (they are paying these people a wage that is barely livable to begin with). If they are illegal, they need to leave the country immediately

You are absolutely correct. Legal immigrants shpould be treated fairly--employers should not be allowed to hire illegals. Employers should also have to provide decent circumstances for their legal temporary workers. The reason they don't is because our government lets them pass on all the costs of education,. health, etc to you and me.

I almost agree MrBill but there still is a difference between legal immigrants and legal temporary Workers. The Temp Workers should have to have decent conditions and not live like that.

Why are so many people allowed to live in 1 or 2 bedroom houses/trailers anyways? Are there laws against that?

Originally Posted by Steph

Why are so many people allowed to live in 1 or 2 bedroom houses/trailers anyways? Are there laws against that?

Yes! Just on the septic alone. There are town laws too. Those farmers could give a hoot for the migrants. They are slaves to them. It's sad.