Residents of a senior housing complex in Chelsea are receiving vacate orders due to plans by the New York City Housing Authority to modernize the site with new public and market-rate housing. 114 households must relocate, with a majority from the senior-only Chelsea Addition building. Tenants have 90 days to move to other NYCHA properties not exclusive to seniors, causing fear about community safety. Moving assistance is provided, and rent will remain the same, but residents worry about longer-term housing security once construction is complete in three to four years.
Tenants are being offered units in other NYCHA-owned buildings on the complex that aren't tailored specifically for those aged 62 and older. They have 90 days to leave their current apartments. Some said they feared leaving behind the community and safety of a building meant for older New Yorkers.
Maria Santos, a 10-year resident of Chelsea Addition, expressed distrust in NYCHA and the developers, stating, 'I feel much safer here. I'm surrounded by people my age, and I'm in a place where I can walk.'
Once construction is finished in three to four years, residents from the senior building are guaranteed apartments in the new complex. However, many seniors worry about their safety after relocation.
Diana Chew, another resident, recounted her traumatic experiences in regular NYCHA buildings, saying, 'I was mugged multiple times when I lived in a regular NYCHA building.'
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