This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Westerly Apts eviction of residents

The Westerly Apartments in Lakewood, Ohio is residence for people 55 years and older consisting of 3 buildings. There are people living here in their 80's and 90's who have called this place their home, some have lived here for more than 20 years, and who thrive in this atmosphere and personable advantages provided by volunteers from within these buildings and from the community outside. Some of the advantages provided here are indoor health care, library and book store, second hand clothing store, classes in creative writing and a beauty salon to name just a few. The Board of Directors of the complex applied through a bank for a grant for much needed improvements. It is a loan through the IRS which will give a tax credit to the bank who will fund the loan. But there is a dear cost. There is an income cap on who can live here and as a result 34 of the residents will be forced to move from the first building to be renovated. They have offered that some may move into another building, but they will probably be forced to move again once a grant is given for the refurbishment of that building. They must be out of their homes by September. One of these women, Eleanor French, has led a letter writing campaign for the troops in Afghanistan. The Marine Corp has given the Westerly a gift of their flag flown over Camp Leatherneck in the Helmund Provence during Operation Enduring Freedom as thanks to her work. It is a dreadful shame that these men and women whose generation have lived through the depression, a world war, Korea and Vietnam and losses of fathers, sons, and brothers should be treated so cavalierly. As you know some of these people are very elderly and are thriving here and a move such as this can affect them very adversely because they will not only lose their home, but their community. In cases like this, if nothing else, there should be an age cap (80 years) on who can be forced out of their homes. This is a plea to allow these people to stay until their deaths or upon their need to move to another residence.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?