Thread by @shayshinecastle

Quite a few speakers about Tantra Lake apt, which BHP took over quite awhile ago. They're converting that all to affordable housing, which means market-rate tenants have to go when their leases are up.

We've seen this happen before. (Can't find the story, but it's from like 2015 in South Boulder when another affordable developer bought existing units.) It always seems cruelly ironic: Ppl displaced to make way for affordable housing.

Not super familiar with the current situation (aside from some emails to council) so I can't speak much to it until I learn more.

Or until Deb at the Camera writes about it.... *fingers crossed*

Castellano: It appears there is significant disconnect between BHP and residents. 11 households at Tantra asked to leave by the end of this month; BHP hasn't yet confirmed if they qualify for affordable housing and therefore can stay.

"I won't pretend to understand the dynamics here," Castellano says. "What can feel like protocol to BHP can feel like an absolute crisis to residents."

Firnhaber back to touch on Tantra Lakes: BHP and the city purchased Tantra in 2016, part of the council's priorities around preservation of units. 30-40% were designated affordable at that time.

"There's always been an expectation that this project would transition to 100% affordable as the resources were available," Firnhaber says.

BHP recently got some funding to transition the rest of the units. Residents were formally notified in April of this year, in addition to previous communication.

Firnhaber: "BHP has been working with those residents since April. 11 residents they are still working with." Some qualify for affordable housing and are staying; others, their leases are not being renewed.

Those residents are being given time to find a new place to live, Firnhaber says, and BHP is helping with that relocation.

This happens every year, Firnhaber says. Residents who live in affordable housing have to, every other year, show that they still qualify. Most do, but sometimes incomes go up and they have to leave at the end of their current lease.

"They're often given additional months as needed," Firnhaber says, up to a year, to find a new place to live.

Brockett: Folks are not being evicted, right?
Firnhaber: "None of our affordable housing providers evict individuals through this process. Eviction is a technical term with a technical process. It doesn't mean they don't have the ability to not continue the lease when it ends."

Brockett: I get that eviction is a formal process, but they're also not forcing ppl to leave their house in the next couple of weeks?
No, Firnhaber says.

Speer: It sounds like folks whose leases are ending, they have to leave at that time. But aren't there still families who don't have another option of somewhere to go? Isn't that where the concern is coming from?

Firnhaber: The process of communicating with them would have started in April. But leases expire at different times. BHP would be working with those residents to plan toward the ends of those leases.

"BHP is flexible with helping them make that transition, and it's not unusual for a month or two to be added to those leases," Firnhaber says.

Speer: If these folks needed help, how would they get on someone's radar? Contact BHP?
Firnhaber: BHP is contacting them, but yes. 11 is a small portion of those that have transitioned out since April of this year.

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