CINCINNATI — Tenants of the Court View apartment complex in downtown Cincinnati are trying to raise awareness about that they’re calling a lack of protection for renters in the city.
The residents of the complex know the developers have followed the law in getting them to move out, but they hope their situation will change laws in the city or state to prevent something like this from happening to anyone else.
“I cannot believe what is happening to us, and it can happen to anybody,” Court View resident Tim Reed said.
He’s lived in an apartment at 7 W. Court street for nearly 20 years.
“We know we’re going to have to leave,” Reed said. “But we are here to fight for the future of everybody else.”
Court View residents said they want to see city leaders introduce protection for renters like them who are being forced to move out. They also want more time to find a new place to live and, in Reed’s words, reasonable money to help with the move.
“This is not helping the housing crisis that we’re in,” Court View resident Jeff Stout said. “This is part of the problem.”
Vision and Beyond took ownership of the Court Street building this spring and provided a 30-day notice for residents to vacate. The company then gave tenants an extra two weeks to find another residence, but that time ended July 11.
A company spokesperson said it is moving forward with the eviction proceedings for anyone still living there so it can also move forward with plans to update the units and make repairs throughout the building.
“First and foremost, we want to keep the construction site safe and we have made efforts to talk to each tenant on an individual basis," a statement from the company said. "We were willing to work with the tenants in that way. We’ve offered a lot of assistance beyond what’s required."
Vision and Beyond originally offered $300 moving assistance for residents who moved to one of its other properties and $200 for other residents who move out on time.
Of the 19 units in the building, tenants on Thursday said 11 are occupied by people planning to stay as long as possible to get their message across.
