In Manhattan, dozens of older New Yorkers living in NYCHA housing now fear for their future after they received a 90-day notice to move out of a building in Chelsea that only houses seniors.

Chants of “save our homes” were heard outside the Chelsea Addition on West 27th Street.

What You Need To Know

  • New York City Housing Authority seniors have received a 90-day vacate order to leave the Chelsea Addition, a senior housing residence run by NYCHA. Residents are supposed to move into a temporary residence on the same campus in Chelsea to make way for construction of a new building that could open in three years

  • While more than two dozen seniors have already accepted the offer to relocate, many others do not want to move, saying they feel safer living in a residence that is only for seniors, and also don’t want their tight-knit senior community to be separated

  • NYCHA officials and developers showed NY1 a model apartment that is an example of the type of refreshed unit with amenities that the seniors are being offered

  • According to officials, they have held discussions with impacted residents over the past few years and they plan to address security concerns with ring cameras on doors, roving patrols and a security booth

Many seniors made it loud and clear that they do not wish to move.

“We can’t sleep every night,” 79-year-old Yu Story said. “It’s scary right now. Nights, just thinking, thinking, thinking. It’s making people depression more and more.”

Story and her neighbor, 78-year-old Diana Chew, say after previously living in NYCHA buildings where they didn’t feel safe, and they were overjoyed to move into the Chelsea Addition more than four years ago.

It’s a building that houses only seniors.

These friends say that forcing all 79 households at the building to separate from each other, and relocate to temporary housing for more than three years will tear apart the close-knit environment that they’ve created.

“Everybody is my friend for this building, like a family, a big family,” Chew said.

The 90-day vacate orders were distributed, as NYCHA seeks to replace and modernize two buildings from the Fulton and Elliot-Chelsea Houses.

The new facilities will serve residents of all ages but will contain consecutive floors just for seniors.

“So, this is the renovated kitchen, or the refreshed kitchen as we call it, that was designed by the residents,” Jamar Adams, founder of Essence Development, said as he showed NY1 a model apartment that he says reflects the type of temporary housing the seniors are being offered.

Adams and NYCHA officials say more than two dozen residents have already signed up to move into these units, which will keep them on the same Chelsea campus that they currently call home.

Chew says the refreshed unit she has been offered is in her previous building, where she didn’t feel safe.

“I don’t want to move to the same place before,” Chew said. “It was no good. Totally no good. They had [a robbery] and [a] gunfight. I’m so scared. I’m really scared for that.”

Jonathan Gouveia, chief real estate officer for NYCHA, said over the past few years, his team has been working with impacted residents to understand what they need.

“Security is one of their issues,” Gouveia said. “So we are going to include Ring cameras on the front door of every apartment. We want to make sure the residents feel comfortable.”

Developers tell NY1 additional security measures will include roving patrols and a security booth.

Despite that, NY1 has learned that housing advocates have been speaking with seniors to discuss possible legal action to delay the move.