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My granddaughter has no where else to live her mother and step father on drugs, father unemployed and homeless. I am her only hope of a stable life and now I have to leave my home because of her. I cannot afford housing anywhere else as I am retired on ss retirement with mobility issues. What can I do if anything to stay in my home?

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You’ll almost certainly have to move considering you’re in Florida. It’s very common for people in your situation to be evicted there.

People pay a premium to live in child free communities for a reason. It’s not fair to everyone else in the park to make exceptions to the rules.
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Reply to ZippyZee
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The reason in my community - which is a whole city in itself - is that the over-55 crowd moved here in order to enjoy facilities and amenities that cater to them. Golf courses, pools, computer, crafts, hobby facilities including radio control modeling of boats, planes, cars, and trains. It's one big camp for adults. If kids were allowed to live here, the adult-aimed facilities would be overrun, and those who lived here have already raised their families and don't want that.

BUT - we have playgrounds for the kids plus swimming classes for them; they fish in our lakes, attend special programs such as crafts and day camp at holiday times, and they are welcome at entertainment as long as it's not a adult thing where they'd be in the way, such as underfoot while their elders are learning to tango. In summer, kids have special hours at all pools. There's a grandparents' club so they can arrange play dates with other grandparents. They can stay for lengthy times while their parents are on a longish trip. We are friendly and welcoming, but this cannot be their legal residence. They cannot run and play freely in others' yards, and they cannot drive golf carts.

Rules might be bent for someone in OP's case, but probably only temporarily as an emergency.
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Reply to Fawnby
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I have no advice to offer, just wanted to say you sound like an awesome person. I hope it all works out for you and your granddaughter. She is lucky to have you.
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sp196902 Sep 16, 2024
Maybe the granddaughter is lucky and maybe not. Just because grandma is willing to take in granddaughter does not mean grandma is a nice person. I know about this first hand from MIL who took in two grand kids and is nice to one but emotionally abusive to the other.
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I believe that this 55+ rule applies to the owner of the mobile home.

There must be someone on your HOA board who can give you the 'rules'. I actually think it may be against the law to discriminate against someone b/c of age.

Don't assume the worst!

I had a friend who has custody of 3 grandkids. At one point she was facing losing her home and she was looking into 55+ mobile home parks. There were a lot of situations where grandma had custody of a couple of grands. Not one of the parks refused to rent to her with the kids in tow.

Good Luck (on all accounts!)
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Reply to Midkid58
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I think that this is perhaps something for discussion with those who manage your park.
We could have no idea what you might do in this circumstance.
I think that you might have better luck with adding the word "temporary" to this custody, as it may be just that if the couple gets clean.

I would say you have temporary custody due to family illness. See how that works. If there are not parties and such then this may just be sort of ignored and under the carpet, but again this is up to you to find out for your own community; they are all different.

I sure do wish you the very best of luck.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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There’s been an exception to fair housing rules since 1988 for 55 and over communities. You can ask, but I wouldn’t be surprised if told “no” as probably several places have told others who want to move in grandchildren. It obviates the purpose of the 55 and up exemption.
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Reply to PeggySue2020
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My inlaws lived in a 55 plus mobile home community down near Ft Myers FL. They had extreme rules regarding children. Children could visit but had to follow really restrictive rules and could not live there.

I'd check with the park management or HOA management and feel them out.

There are a lot of mobile home communities in Florida that allow families with children. You may need to move to one of these more welcoming communities.

My county in Florida, Alachua, has government agencies that help people find affordable housing. Those with children, and women, are prioritized and relocated to housing in less than 30 days.

Also, since you are caring for a minor child you may qualify for some extra assistance money from the state of Florida. The state would rather have the child cared by by you, a family member, than in foster care.
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Reply to brandee
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Honestly, maybe you should consider the foster care system for her. Her best chances in life will be if she can be surrounded by a good, stable family who has kids of their own and can manuever the school system and develop a network of friends and contacts that will help influence and support her and provide the best options for her future jobs. Our good friends fostered junior-high and high-school kids over the years. A step-relative (single man, no kids) fostered 2 high-school boys and went on to adopt them and they are now doing awesome. It was the best thing to ever happen to those kids. It doesn't mean you aren't still her Grandma. But your love won't be enough at this stage in her life.

With such limited income and mobility issues (do you have a car? do you drive?) and now with pressure to move to a more expense location... you run the risk of plunging both you and your Granddaughter into poverty and stress.

I'm 65 and my grandson is 14 (and living with his parents). He's doing well in school because his home life is stable (working Father who can support the family, makes time for his kids). He plays JH football and thus has a good network of friends (which is extremely important to belong to a social group during formative youth years). He goes to the afterschool bible study group. He goes to (and hosts) sleepovers. Your granddaughter won't have any of this if she lives with you.

I'm so sorry for this dilemma, but there is an alternative.

I would talk to her social worker about the possibility of foster care.
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sp196902 Sep 16, 2024
What are the odds of the 12 year old going into a bad foster care home? Sexual abuse, physical abuse and other forms of neglect can and do happen quite often to children in foster care.

"one third to one half of children that have been in foster care report having suffered abuse in their foster homes.."

The OP is between a rock and a hard place because of the two drug addicts that became parents. She has limited income and means to care for her granddaughter and is restricted by a 55+ community. I will post more about that above.
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If a 55+ community has decided it will totally exclude children, that is totally up to them and has been since 1988. Otherwise, said communities would be flooded with whatever minors an individual resident considered the exemption. I
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waytomisery Sep 16, 2024
OP lives in Florida , which we all know , caters to retirees with a lot of these communities . My FIL was in one when he would snowbird for winters and moved to another one for a bigger home, when he moved there year round . No way would these people who relocated to retire to an adult only community be happy about kids living in their community . These communities usually have strict rules about everything . Never heard of kids living in them . Some of these people thrive by tattling on any of their neighbors who break any rule .
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May question, OP never responded.
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