Sunday was the deadline dozens of families were given to move out of Green Oak Ranch RV Park in Vista.
Green Oak Ministries manages 28 acres of the property, including the alcohol and drug recovery program across the pond.
Some families packed their RVs with all of their belongings and have already left, but others say they are staying until they find a place to go.
It’s been one day since Carrie Gibbs moved from Green Oak Ranch RV Park and she already misses her friend, Swanburgundy, the swan who lives at the pond.
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Carrie is among the dozens of tenants who have a deep connection to the community, calm, and peace this place brings. She said most tenants have already moved, but about eight of them have yet to find a place to go.
NBC 7 spoke with executive director of Green Oak Ranch Ministries over the phone. She said they don’t want to see any of their neighbors become homeless and they are doing everything they can to make sure that doesn’t happen.
LaRen Reed has lived at the RV park for eight years. She and her family cherish this community for many reasons, including safety.
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“It’s just really, really heartbreaking to see this chapter of our life end so abruptly … we weren’t aware that it was going to happen like this. We thought that we would have more time to make some decisions and just got the ground pulled out from under us,” Reed said.
While most of her neighbors are able to load their RVs and leave, they’re looking for a place that can accommodate their tiny home. So far, she says it hasn’t been easy.
“Every place that we have found locally either has been inadequate due to costs of living or the hookups that aren’t available or the size,” Reed said.
Gibbs says Green Oak Ranch's mission will remain but the rest of the property was leased to Solutions for Change. It’s a nonprofit organization which helps the homeless find permanent housing. She says she finds that ironic.
In a public statement shared on Facebook, Solutions for Change said in part, “We have reached out to all impacted families, offering them the opportunity to join our programs, which include structured support and sobriety requirements. We also offered access to other housing services. Many have declined our offer.”
LaRen said she will keep holding firm to her faith.
“We’re going to continue to search and pray that God opens up the next door to where we’re to go,” Reed said.
The executive director of Green Oak Ranch Ministry said they’ve opened a shared living house specifically for anyone that did not have a place to go. She said people contact them directly.
