Life in the Garden, By Sean McInnis

Faced with eviction, residents of Kentucky Gardens Mobile Home Park, come together to find a solution to help relocate after rezoning allowed for development of condominiums on the property. Many of the residents’ trailer homes are legally unable to be moved from the site because of statute requirements, leaving them to be demolished. The high cost of housing and development in the region has made it hard for many of the low-income residents to find a new place to call home.

Senior Photojournalism major Sean McInnis documented the community last spring 2024 after learning about their eviction and the challenges the locals were facing.

To see the entire project visit: https://wkuvjp431.tilda.ws/lifeinthegarden

The Kentucky Gardens Trailer Park is home to a diverse community. Residents enjoy the quiet and peaceful sanctuary they have created.

 

Larry Wimpee takes his dog Spike on a short walk around his trailer. A retired brick lawyer, Wimpee says he has been living in the park for 13 years and has enjoyed sitting under the awning covering his front porch. Wimpee is frustrated and unsure how he is going to relocate due to his old age. “I’m working on moving now, trying to find a place, trying to find the money to do it,” Wimpee said. “I don’t even have a car.”

 

Brandon Vincent looks across the trailer park while taking a break from working on his bikes. \”If we don\’t start to help ourselves, we might end up in a position to have no help at all,\” said Vincent.

 

The people of the park deliberate into the evening during a meeting to discuss the status of their current situation. Resident Star Morse (fourth from left) led attendees in brainstorming ideas for different fundraisers, and shared recent communications she had with the park owners, Eddie and Joy Hanks. With the park\’s large Hispanic population, Leyda Becker, the Bowling Green International Community Liaison translated for the Spanish speaking residents.

 

Karma Silz looks through papers she received from the park owners informing residents of the current timeline in construction now giving them until 2026 to move out. Despite time extensions by the owners and months of fundraising, roughly half of the park had decided to vacate, leaving their trailers to be demolished.

 

A construction crew works to tear down resident Larry Wimpee’s trailer. The workers tore down the metal siding with crowbars and electric saws.