David Booth, 76, was evicted from his mobile home in Soldotna, Alaska, forcing him to seek temporary housing at a lodge. His situation highlights the severe housing shortage and affordability crisis on the Kenai Peninsula.
David Booth looks at his trailer from his car in the River Terrace RV Park on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 in Soldotna , Alaska . Housing is tight on the Kenai Peninsula , especially for renters. And when the owner of a prominent Soldotna RV and mobile home park handed down dozens of eviction notices last year, it laid bare some of the challenges faced by some of the area's most vulnerable residents.
The sun shines on the road leading to David Booth’s trailer in the River Terrace RV Park on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 in Soldotna, Alaska. It’s dark inside David Booth’s home office. VHS tapes and stuffed polar bears line the shelves above him while he rifles through folders and drawers. It’s the first time Booth’s been able to get back inside his home at the River Terrace RV Park since getting evicted earlier this year. And he’s looking for something. “Well, I’m going to have to do a search,” he says. “And I’ll have to get a hold of the DMV, I think, and ask them to run a search on it. Because it should be on file.” Booth, 76, is trying to find the title to his mobile home. The 60-foot-long trailer is parked on the property’s northernmost lot. You can see it from the Dairy Queen drive-thru; it’s appended with miscellaneous structures, such as a greenhouse he calls his “man cave.” The trailer was Booth’s home for more than two decades. Now, he’s paying $120 a night to stay at the Kenai River Lodge while he figures out where to go next. He knows he wants to stay in town.David Booth sits inside his hotel room on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 in Soldotna, Alaska. Booth has been living at the Kenai River Lodge since he was evicted from the River Terrace RV Park.State data shows the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s rental market has tightened since the COVID-19 pandemic. And it’s also gotten more expensive. Booth was just one of dozens of people evicted from the River Terrace RV Park last year. The property owners say they’re changing how the land is used. “What was my reaction?” he ask
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