Residents of a Siler City mobile home park say a new chicken plant is forcing them from their homes, and they can’t afford to live anywhere else.

Residents on Monday night pleaded with town leaders to step in and help with requests for compensation and affordable housing.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a place to go live,” resident Natalia Lopez said through a translator.

The residents of Johnson’s Mobile Home Park were told in November that they would have to find somewhere else to live by May 7, but where they will go is not a question that can be easily answered.

“Mountaire buying the property on which our mobile home sits on is affecting every family, including my own,” said resident Bricel Rangel.

Mountaire Farms acquired the land where the mobile home park sits in order to build a poultry processing plant. The Hispanic Liaison, an advocacy group, said about 60 adults and 50 children are now looking for a place to live as a result.

Many of the families on the property own their mobile homes and pay $210 in monthly lot rent. They worry they can’t afford the significant rent increase they might face elsewhere.

The median income for residents in the mobile home park is between $15,000 and $20,000 per year, according to The Hispanic Liaison.

Since the property was purchased from private owners, residents are asking for assistance from town leaders.

“They’re here to ask for fairness and to ask for fair compensation and fair treatment and dignity for their families,” said Ilana Dubester, executive director of The Hispanic Liaison.

According to The Hispanic Liaison, residents have been engaged in good faith negotiations with Mountaire for the past six weeks and have significantly reduced their financial compensation request to reach a compromise with the company.

Both parties were close to an agreement last week, but reached an impasse, the organization said.

In a statement, Montaire said all residents have been given five months rent abatement to assist with relocation expenses and an offer was made to provide $5,000 per unit in relocation assistance to all who have relocated by June, 30. All residents had accepted the rent abatement assistance as of Sunday, but none have relocated, the company said.

Mountaire spokesman Mark Reif attended the town meeting Monday night and said he has compassion and felt the offer was double the perceived cost for families to move.

"[The company] is aware that non-renewal of leases presents difficulties to current residents with respect to relocation and has been and currently is in discussions with residents in an attempt to reach a satisfactory resolution," Mountaire said in a statement Monday night.

City leaders on Monday night acknowledged the need to address affordable housing concerns, but no decisions were made concerning the mobile home park.

The Hispanic Liaison said it will meet with Mountaire again in the coming weeks.