Salvation Army purchased three apartment buildings in south Bloomington in mid-July to convert into transitional housing for homeless veterans, but in doing so, the Christian-based homeless services organization is forcing current tenants out. The agency originally said it would give tenants until Aug. 31 to relocate, but following outcry from tenants, Salvation Army told WGLT late Friday afternoon it was reevaluating.
A new move-out date hasn't been determined.
Meanwhile, tenants estimated over 40 individuals will be affected by the Salvation Army's plans, including families with children.
Longtime residents such as Douglas Manley and Gayle Norbury — who’ve lived at 1908 Tracy Drive for seven years — said the news came without warning.
“I was kind of in shock,” Norbury said when she received a letter from Salvation Army on July 19 of the agency's plans for the properties at 107 Oak Creek Plaza, 1908 Tracy Drive and 1910 Tracy Drive. That letter had been short, and told all tenants they needed to leave by Aug. 31. WGLT had conversations with tenants before Salvation Army announced it would be extending that deadline.
Norbury said she and Manley have been considering relocating to Tennessee, but not until their lease ends in May.
“Trying to follow through with that in 36 days is unrealistic,” she said, adding the two have amassed seven years’ worth of belongings and moving somewhere in town within the given time frame is equally daunting. “I'm still just in shock."
Tenants had known for about a year that the building would be sold, as it had been on the market for as long. However, they expected leases would transition to new owners, and rent might take a hike. They didn’t know they’d be “kick(ed) out to the curb,” said Manley, adding that to him and others who got the same notices, it’s equivalent to an eviction without cause.
“The initial response from me was, they're going to kick us out, make us homeless in order for them to bring in homeless people,” Manley said.
Change of plans
In a statement from Salvation Army North and Central Illinois Division, the organization told WGLT it intends to offer tenants financial support and will communicate as it determines what that might look like. On Friday the organization updated WGLT that it was giving tenants more time to move out, but did not specify a new date.
“The Salvation Army mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination,” the statement reads. “We will always be here to serve all who need it most when they need it most. We will be here to support residents during their housing transition."
Salvation Army also said tenants were on month-to-month lease agreements, though at least one lease obtained by WGLT indicates that wasn’t the case. Manley and Norbury’s lease identified a 12-month term of stay when they first signed it and moved into the unit in 2017. Manley said they haven’t gotten an updated lease since that time, despite requests for them.
Multiple tenants said the same happened thing to them, and their current leases were based on verbal agreements, rather than signed documents.
WGLT could not reach the prior property owner, James Modine, to inquire further about the nature of the leases. It’s also unclear whether he knew about the Salvation Army’s plans.
Lease type determines how much notice a landlord — in this case, Salvation Army — must give tenants before termination or eviction, according to the Illinois Tenants and Landlords Rights Law. For month-to-month leases, it’s 30 days. For long-term leases, it’s 60 days. Manley and other tenants are sending letters to the Salvation Army, asking for more time to get their things together.
Per Friday's announcement from Salvation Army, it seems the tenants succeeded.
Meanwhile, the Salvation Army has to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is funding the Salvation Army's homeless veterans project. Their grant agreement stipulates per the grant the agency has to convert 19 units into transitional housing for veterans and their families by Oct. 1.
All of the tenants WGLT spoke to said they support the Salvation Army's mission, but it shouldn’t be at the cost of their own housing and financial stability.
“I think it's wonderful they're planning to house homeless veterans. I'm all for that. I was raised by a veteran,” said 1910 Tracy Drive tenant Nerissa Buchanan. “But I just feel like there's a proper way to go about this.”
Buchanan lives with her partner Lawrence Pinkston and her daughter Olivia, who’s still in school. Buchanan said she’s worried they’ll have to move out of the district, which would take Olivia away from her friends and routine. The timing is poor, Buchanan added, since school is set to start mid-August.
“It's just heartbreaking when I think about my daughter and what I've established here and how we came became very comfortable,” she said.
Buchanan said they’ll also need to live somewhere with a garage since Pinkston is a mechanic.
“He does work on a lot of cars, and a lot of people come to him, and, you know, so that is one source of income that really does help out,” she said.
Bloomington-Normal’s housing market is also strapped. Units are going for much more than when Buchanan and Pinkston moved into Tracy Drive several years ago.
“I'm not prepared to move,” Pinkston said in a conversation before Salvation Army's Friday update. “I don't have the money.”
Buchanan said she doesn’t think they’ll become homeless, but moving in with family temporarily while she looks for permanent housing is a real possibility. According to the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act, doubling up like this is considered homeless in the school setting, making Olivia eligible for help.
Manley and Norbury said they’re not likely to wind up on the streets either, but Manley said he’s been there before.
“I don't wish to go back to it,” he said, adding that he and Norbury sometimes use Salvation Army’s food pantry services.
