RICHMOND, Va. -- In October of 2021, residents in Grace Place Apartments were given just hours to leave their units after the building failed inspection.
Now, the building is being shut down for good.
Tenants who live in the building said that they have received notices on their doors to be out of their apartments by the end of the month.
"It's heartbreaking, it's truly heartbreaking," one resident said.
Many residents are expressing anger and frustration, saying they feel like they've been left in the dark with no help or answers as to why the building is closing.
"You might as well say you robbing us, you strong-arm robbing us," another resident said.
Thomas Moss has been a tenant at Grace Place for the past seven years and said he hopes he's able to find a new place in such a short period of time.
"I got like, furniture, I got to put that in storage and I don't know where to go right now. So yes, I'm stressed out," Moss said.
The military veteran said that he and other tenants feel neglected after getting the notice and then receiving little to no help finding a new place they can afford.
"They put notices on, saying everybody gotta get out on the 29th and nobody came out to have a meeting with the tenants or nothing," Moss said.
He said there hasn't been anyone in the front office for weeks and said he's unsure of who to call for answers.
"I'm depressed, I'm stressed, you know. I just don't know what to do at this moment," Moss said.
The CBS6 Problem Solvers reached out to the property owners, Franklin Capital Group, to ask about the next steps for the tenants as well as the future of the building.
"We are working to help the residents relocate, even the substantial number of residents who are in default in the payment of rent. The long-term future of the building is effectively in the hands of Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA)," wrote Franklin President Joseph Resende.
RRHA said they are not the owners of the property and said all questions should be directed to Franlin.
Moss said that he and other tenants feel they deserve better and hope management assures they get the help they need soon.
"Homeless people still coming in and crapping on the back staircase and urinating in elevators and stuff like that because there's nobody here to take care of the building," said Moss. “They just putting us out in the street like we dogs you know and isn't really telling us anything."
We also asked Franklin about additional aid to residents in finding somewhere to stay and they said at last 15 people were being helped by the various housing agencies listed below:
- VA Supportive Housing - https://www.virginiasupportivehousing.org/
- Home Again- https://www.homeagainrichmond.org/
- Rapid Rehousing- https://veteransnavigator.org/program/54566/rapid-rehousing-homeless-families-and-individuals-richmond
- Richmond Behavioral Health- https://www.rbha.org/
- Central Virginia Resource Corporation- https://cvrc-va.org/
- RRHA- https://www.rrha.com/
