CINCINNATI — Hundreds of seniors made Cincinnati history by forming the city's largest single-property tenant union to bring one of the country's largest private developers to the bargaining table.
We were there Wednesday when more than a dozen of the tenants living at Cambridge Arms walked to the adjacent post office to deliver a message: they want answers and they want them now.
The apartments are low-income senior housing in Oakley. Related Affordable, based in New York, is set to buy the property with the financial support of The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, according to a press release from the Cincinnati Tenants Union.
The developer is planning a multi-million-dollar renovation of the property's two towers, which include more than 200 units.
Tenants we spoke with say they've received no clear communication from their prospective landlord in the months since learning of the deal. That has left them frustrated and concerned.
WATCH: See how senior tenants in Oakley mobilized to send a message to their new prospective landlord
“While Related spent their summer making plans without us, we spent it talking to our neighbors and organizing so we could plan what we want for our futures together. We know that the only way for this sale and renovation to go smoothly is for the tenants to be involved in it,” Alberta Hammond said.
After forming the Cambridge Arms Tenant Union, leading members circulated a petition demanding that Related Affordable negotiate a collectively bargained lease with terms on relocation, maintenance, communication and other items. In just three weeks, 135 tenants signed the petition, representing 63% of the occupied units at Cambridge Arms.
"We got a right to know. That's all we want to do. Just sit down and speak to us. Nobody's mad about anything, but a lot of people just don't understand what's going on," Charles Webster said. "We're not here to work against them. We're here to work with them."
Tenants did more than mail those petitions on Wednesday. The Manila envelopes also included a demand for a transparency meeting. The tenant union gave Related Affordable two weeks to respond.
Tenants we spoke with said the only communication they've received is through occasional paper notices. A recent notice informed tenants that an agency hired by Related Affordable would be entering units to inspect them.
We reached out to the developer to get a better understanding of the situation. A spokesperson wrote back with a statement.
"Related Affordable has a long history of preserving affordable housing and working collaboratively with residents during each step of a renovation plan," a spokesperson said. "We do not own or manage Cambridge Arms yet, but we look forward to communicating with the residents as part of the process."
"I think we'll hear from them. We're hoping that we do," Mattie Freeman said. "Most of our people are in our late 70s. That's the average citizen. But the ones in their 80s? 90s? They don't have family. So they don't know where they would go. And that's what the scare is."
