MADISON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Every tenant living on Bluegrass Homes Street in Madison County has about 40 days to vacate their rental homes and find a new place to live.
Renters in the housing community, close to the Bluegrass Army Depot, have enjoyed low-cost rent for about 70 years.
But, due to health issues, the landlord is closing up shop.
Tenant Kelsey Brookshire and her three kids packed up their car and moved out Wednesday after living in their rental home for about three years.
"I was taking care of the baby one day, and the sheriff knocked on the door, and I was like what in the world?" she recalled. "Why is a cop here?"
She was handed a notice to vacate. Her lease had been terminated.
"I freaked out," she said. "I didn't know what I was going to do."
Tenant Justin Young got one too.
"I understand things happen, but it would have been nice to have a little earlier notice," Young said. "That way we could have prepared for everything."
Soon, they learned everyone in the neighborhood had to go.
LEX 18 asked landlord Latonya Hager why and she explained off camera that the Army actually owns the homes, and due to health issues, she and the Army had to terminate their lease together.
She adds all her tenants are on month-to-month leases and were made aware when signing that something like this could happen.
However, Hager said she never thought she'd see that day. She grew up in the neighborhood and said it's heartbreaking having to let it go.
She said the homes are an important part of the community as they were part of the Wherry Housing Project and were built to house military families.
She added she prays every day that tenants find a good place to live, and she's happy to write references to help them.
Some tell us they'll need that reference because they have no place to go. Young said he was paying $530 a month on Bluegrass Homes Street and hasn't found anything comparable.
"Everything out here is like $1,100, $1,200, or $1,300," he said.
Brookshire has had an easier time finding a place she's happy with.
"It's actually worked out for the better," she said. "This is the best thing that could have happened. So I'm actually really happy about it, but the timing of it sucked."
Hager added that the Sheriff's Office delivered the notices to vacate for safety reasons. She is related to Chirs and Gracie Hager. They owned several properties in town and were shot and killedat a duplex they owned on Keystone Drive last year.
