CINCINNATI — Eight months after residents at Cambridge Arms warned they feared a lack of communication could complicate a major renovation project at the senior housing complex, some tenants say those concerns have become a reality.
Several residents and the Cincinnati Tenants Union are now calling on property owner Related Affordable to improve communication with tenants amid a months-long renovation project that has displaced dozens of seniors from their homes.
The complaints range from lengthy hotel stays and damaged belongings to concerns about construction dust and interrupted medical services.
"We want them to be honest with us," Lola Johnson-Roland said. "Tell us upfront. Let us know what's going on."
Johnson-Roland has lived at Cambridge Arms for 15 years. She moved into a hotel March 23 so contractors could renovate her apartment.
Nearly three months later, she still has not returned home.
WATCH: Oakley tenants demand answers as renovations leave some seniors in hotels for months
The 77-year-old said movers returned furniture to her apartment only for a rodent to later be discovered among her belongings. She said it delayed her return while her apartment was cleaned and furniture was replaced.
"They had to throw away my chairs, and they were supposed to replace them," Johnson-Roland said. "This is what's taken so long."
The complaints mark the latest chapter in a dispute that began before renovations started.
Last October, Cambridge Arms residents formed what organizers described as Cincinnati's largest single-property tenant union after learning Related Affordable planned to purchase and renovate the more than 200-unit low-income senior housing complex in Oakley.
At the time, residents said they were not opposed to improvements but wanted more information about relocation plans, maintenance procedures and communication during construction.
Many say those questions remain unanswered.
Fred Pringle, 77, has lived at Cambridge Arms for 40 years. He said he has been staying in a hotel since late February and has repeatedly been given move-in dates that later changed.
"They keep changing the day on me," Pringle said. "I just want to get back home."
Pringle said he has struggled to get updates from management.
"They won't talk to me. I keep calling them," Pringle said. "They say they'll get back to me. Never get back to me."
Other residents say returning home has brought new frustrations.
Mary Browning, who has lived at Cambridge Arms for about 11 years, spent more than two months in a hotel before returning to her apartment last week.
Browning said she discovered broken furniture, missing artwork and unfinished renovation work after moving back in.
"My entertainment center — the legs are broken," Browning said. "My lamp — they don't know where the screws are. All my artwork — they can't locate it."
Browning said she was also frustrated by what she described as inconsistent communication throughout the renovation process.
"I never got a concrete timeline," she said.
The Cincinnati Tenants Union said tenants have reported respiratory symptoms, severe headaches, hospitalizations and pneumonia during the renovation process. The organization also alleged some residents have had personal belongings damaged or contaminated while in storage.
"I've been in the emergency room twice, and they said it's stress," Johnson-Roland said. "They said, 'You're stressed, you're so stressed.' And they said, 'You gotta be careful.'"
Johnson-Roland believes the disruption has taken a toll on other residents, too.
"We're seniors. We thought this is where we'll just retire and die because this is our home. We had a good community there, and now the community is torn apart," Johnson-Roland said. "So many people have died, young people have died. You know, it's not just the older ones."
Related Affordable disputed some of the criticism and said it is working to address issues as they arise.
In a statement, the company said it is "working swiftly with the third-party storage company to address the results of an unforeseen flood at their facility that affected three units."
The company said it began a comprehensive renovation project after taking ownership of Cambridge Arms in December 2025.
According to Related Affordable, the project includes new HVAC systems, flooring and kitchen upgrades, updated emergency systems, refreshed amenity spaces, infrastructure improvements, exterior updates and free Wi-Fi.
"We understand this comprehensive plan can cause disruptions and will continue to work with the community to make this process as seamless as possible," the company said.
For residents like Pringle, Johnson-Roland and Browning, the issue is not whether renovations should happen.
Instead, they say they want clearer communication about when work will be completed and what to expect along the way.
"They act like, 'All y'all old, and you know? That's okay.' That's the way they act. They act like the seniors are just, you know, there," Johnson-Roland said. "We're still citizens, of course. We're in a low-income place, but we're still citizens."
