Neighbors “backstabbed” after Midtown’s last-standing affordable housing sold to developers

ATLANTA — Redevelopment has changed the lives of those who reside at the Crescent Place Apartment homes in Midtown.

Tenants claimed they only received a 30-day notice stating they needed to find a new place to live.

“They got our money. And then they brought us our notice,” Arjun Sharma told Channel 2′s Matt Johnson.

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“Now, like, I don’t really have a lot of money to like, be looking for a new place,” tenant Matt Diemer said.

Sharma has lived at the complex on Crescent Avenue and 13th Street for three years.

Like so many of the people inside the 49-unit complex, he also works nearby, and is scrambling to find a new place while rent is on the rise.

“I have to get a roommate now if I want to stay in the city, and I haven’t had a roommate since college,” Sharma said.

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The apartments were built in the 1960s.

The property manager told Channel 2 that the site has been slated for redevelopment for years.

In April, the property was sold to Selig Enterprises, which had plans to develop a mixed-use project called Midtown Exchange.

“Now, I like have to leave and it’s like, heartbreaking,” Diemer said.

Residents are also leaving behind a $1,200 a month rent payment that is well below the average cost of rent in Midtown.

Rent.com estimates a one bedroom apartment now goes for over $2,100 a month.

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“We’re the last standing affordable housing in Midtown Atlanta,” tenant Kalil Nassery said.

So is a 30-day notice to vacate legal? It depends on the lease.

The tenants’ leases state that management can end the lease at any point with a 30-day notice.

“We’re seeing it more and more,” Erin Willoughby said.

Willoughby, with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, says it’s becoming more common to see developers buy homes and apartments.

She says that anyone noticing development in their area should re-read their lease.

“They can’t simply come in and terminate your lease regardless of its terms, but they can terminate it based on what the lease allows,” she said.

Some of the residents have found new homes, but some haven’t, and many say they could have used more time to prepare.

“It’s pretty much like getting backstabbed,” Sharma said.

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