I’ve lived in this little apartment since 1988. I’ve had three landlords and never created any trouble. I’m quiet, pay my rent on time, and don’t bother people.
The church across the street bought the building and the vacant lot next door to put up a parking lot. I’ve been served with an eviction notice. That’s it. I have to move, except I have nowhere to move to. Well, I guess I can put my stuff in storage and be homeless again.
You can’t look for another apartment and move?
Apartments here are very scarce and very expensive. I’ve lived under rent control all that time, and I’m paying about 1/2 of market rent. Another reason the church wants us out.
My chances of finding anything I can afford except for a single room are minimal.
Wow. Sounds like paradise.
runs away very fast
Not to make light of what you’re going through, because living in DC, I know it’s tough finding affordable housing (I lucked out with the place I’m at now), but everyone else notices the irony of a church tearing down affordable housing because it’s not making them enough money, right?
Nope.
Meh, I guess I’m in MPSIMS land now, so I’ll just wish Annie-Xmas luck finding a new place to live. Having to move is bad enough; having to move and not knowing if you’ll be able to afford it is worse. 
Yes, apparently the Church figures that parking for their believers is more important than housing for us infidels.
The rent control laws let them do that? In most places, it’s pretty onerous to eliminate any rent-controlled units.
Maybe a room-mate could share rent expenses elsewhere?
Have you considered moving to an area where the rent is more affordable? Surely moving to a part of the country (or even state) that has less-desired real estate is better than being homeless.
The cost of living must be next to nothing where you are.
Annie, do you mean “homeless” or “Homeless”, as in “living on the street”?
Heh. A few years ago I lived in Iowa, and I rented a two-story townhouse-style apartment for $350/mo.
A guy I worked with owned a house that he had purchased for $20,000. His mortgage payment was about $200/month. I assume it wasn’t a nice house.
“Homeless” as in living on the street. 1982 in NYC. Lovely time in my life, but I learned how to do it. It took me everything I knew I had, and some things I didn’t know I had, to get it together and get to where I am. Now I feel like I’m at square one again.
The previous owner tried to get the building condemned so she could get the tenants out, fix up the place and then charge new tenants more rent. The City wouldn’t approve of it, so she sold the building to the church. They own the vacant lot next to the building, so they want the lot. Unfortunately, because the church has a lot of clout, the City approved their plan. It’s a nice six-family building being torn down. It’s making me very ill.
Thanks for all the well wishes and advice, you Dopers. I’ll keep you updated. I’m calling everyone I know who has a rental in hopes of finding something.
And they will get me to leave the New York and Broadway area over my cold, dead Playbills. I’d rather be Homeless in New York than live anywhere else.
Oh boy. This could be my first Pitting.
I think you should raise a royal stink to all the media you can find. Picket the church, even. Even if it is too late for your apartment, you could still do some damage to their reputation as helpers of the less-fortunate…
Have you ever lived anywhere else?
Alaska, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Alaska (again), California (BIG mistake) and finally to NYC and then New Jersey. I’m staying put.
Jesus needs room to park his Excursion.
Really? Talk about this more, please. I am very interested.