MOBILE, Ala. — A downtown Mobile senior housing center has taken the unusual step of issuing eviction notices to residents accused of ignoring coronavirus health rules — a move that has frightened tenants and drawn a response from city council leaders.
Keith Labeaud was the first resident of Central Plaza Towers to receive a notice alleging he violated his lease by not following health guidelines set by the housing board. He says the accusation doesn’t match reality for him or his neighbors.
“We comply, we stay six feet apart and wear our masks,” Labeaud said. “I’m scared. If I get evicted today I don’t have anywhere to go.” He added that the ordeal has made other residents afraid to even leave their apartments.
Board: ‘A Last Resort’
Mobile Housing Board Executive Director Michael Pierce said frightening residents was never the intent, and defended the notices as targeting people who were endangering their neighbors.
“This was a last resort effort to try and save people’s lives,” Pierce said. The board acted after the towers recorded one COVID-19 death and four other cases — a serious threat in a building full of seniors especially susceptible to the virus.
Residents who received notices have 30 days to vacate, but Pierce stressed that anyone now following the rules won’t have to leave at all.
“After getting their attention and they are now complying … we would love to have them stay,” he said.
The notices also drew scrutiny from City Hall: Council President Levon Manzie, Councilmember Fred Richardson and Council Vice President C.J. Small released a joint letter responding to the evictions Tuesday afternoon.