LAWRENCE, Ind. — Residents at an apartment complex in Lawrence are frustrated after they say they were given four days to accept or reject a buyout deal. If they decide to stay, a letter says their rent would double.
“I was like, 'Oh lord, please don’t let this happen to me,'” said Karon Reeves. “I was really hurt. I couldn’t believe it.”
Reeves has lived at Canterbury House Apartments in Lawrence for five years.
On Friday, the 66-year-old received a letter in her door from the property management. It said the complex is shifting to a “market rate property,” which means residents who receive a tax credit or have a Section 8 voucher would be impacted.
The property management said if a resident wants to move, they have 45 days and $3,000 for moving expenses, but they would need to decide by Nov. 22.
On Wednesday, apartment management sent a clarification to tenants that the deadline for them to make their decision is actually Dec. 22, but that they had mistyped Nov. 22 in the letter.
If the resident wants to stay, the letter says their rent would double during the three-year decontrol period.
Right now, Reeves pays $394 in rent, but with this new rate, her rent would jump to $877. She said it’s a price she can’t afford.
“How are you going to throw me out? I haven’t stopped paying rent. I am not behind. I have never been behind. That’s why I don’t understand why they are doing this to us,” Reeves said.
Latoya Gilbert is also stressed about the decision. The mother of four just found out about the change on Sunday.
After living at the complex for 12 years, she doesn’t know what to do.
“We are people. We might be low-income, but are still people,” Gilbert said.
13News reached out to property management, but have not received a response.
According to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, the apartment complex was no longer a part of the federal tax credit program as of January.