40 displaced Garner residents still search for new home

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Help for displaced Garner residents is on the way.

GARNER, North Carolina (WTVD) -- Forty low-income neighbors at a Garner apartment complex are still struggling to find a place to live after the developer decided to renovate and remove Section 8 vouchers from its tenancy.

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Right now 100 households are receiving help from different agencies, such as property companies and Wake County Commissioners. And this week, a new property management group is coming forward to help.

But residents and activists say they are disappointed that the Town of Garner, whose municipal offices sit across the street from Forest Hills Apartments, has done little to help residents.

"The town of Garner has not been where they needed to be on this issue," one activist told Wake County Commissioner's during their meeting.

"It's like forty of us out there that still need help. And we have nowhere else to go," a resident from Forest Hills explained.

After their Tuesday night city council meeting, Garner officials responded to residents' concerns.

In a statement, they said the Town is "sympathetic to Forest Hills residents, but absent a housing subsidy program, it is difficult to find a solution that is fair and equitable to all the citizens of Garner."

Officials told ABC11 in the statement that town officials have worked closely with the appropriate resource agencies to help obtain assistance and housing options for the residents of Forest Hills Apartments. They have also spoken to and met with the complex's property manager to seek more time for residents to find new housing.

A Garner spokesman also noted that the Town funds a number of local, established nonprofits that provide various forms of assistance to residents in need in the Garner area, and pointed out that "Garner is a diverse community that is known for its affordable and workforce housing supply."

Wake County leaders report 100 households have found new homes, and they are actively assisting 14.

Part of that help will include a one-time funding of $25,000 toward emergency assistance specifically for residents still looking.

Back in March, tenants received eviction notices. The owner of the complex, Eller Capital will be renovating the property and won't accept Section 8 vouchers when it reopens.

The company gave residents until last week to leave. But Eller Capital, who will only say 'the company is in full compliance with all of its legal obligations under the resident lease agreements', seems to be giving some folks time to linger as they firm up moving plans.

Keith Miller is one of those people, hoping to nab a two bedroom Section 8 apartment, with his wife, 15 minutes away in Raleigh at the Bluffs at Walnut Creek.

"I wish it would hurry up and go away, the process." Miller says. "Just be done with sitting around waiting for this place to open up is kind of stressful."

This week a property group reached out to ABC 11 hoping to relieve some stress.

Westminster Company says it has six apartment communities with section 8 housing.

Some units are available right now or have a short wait list.

The locations are listed below.

Westminster Company Properties

Brookside Hills Apartments 56 Sweet Lane

Spring Lake NC 28390 910.436.1983

Forest Hills Apartments 2712 Forest Hills Road SW

Wilson NC 27893 252.291.5774

Holly Ridge Apartments 406 Sinclair St. Bldg.6

Lumberton NC 28358 910.738.5430

Rochelle Manor Apartments 2819 Rochelle Street

Durham NC 27703 919.598.1396

Royal Lane Apartments 402 Royal Lane

Clinton NC 28328 910.592.6466

Tera Gardens Apartments 233 Law Road

Fayetteville NC 28311 910.488.4166

To apply go to www.westminstercompany.com and fill out a free application.

Wake County Commissioners are asking landlords and properties to come forward if they can help these Section 8 residents, and other residents in the county who are facing a similar situation.

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