Lisbet Chiriboga is in love with her community.

She moved into Pelham Place, a historic 119-year-old Ghent apartment complex, in March 2024 looking for a place to retire and decrease her expenses. She didn’t expect to find a community and neighbors who liked and cared about one another. Residents even started a community garden.

“We were really thriving,” Chiriboga said.

However, just a few months ago, Chiriboga said that community was shattered. She and other residents are facing displacement due to new ownership, which is renovating every unit. Residents’ leases will not be renewed when they expire, leaving some tenants with as few as two months to find new housing.

“We have to go somewhere,” Chiriboga said.

Lisbet Chiriboga stands for a portrait outside her residence at Pelham Plac

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